When you enter ST-MICHAELS in 2071, the rusty cross is always there

>WEST
Vacant Lot
You are in a large, vacant lot, strewn with rubble. The only way out of the lot
is a small opening in the rubble to the east.
Lying amidst the debris is a rusty metal object of some kind.

>TAKE METAL OBJECT
You pick up the metal object. It looks like an old, rusting cross.

>EAST
Street by Vacant Lot
You are on Church Street, just east of a large vacant lot. The street continues
north and south. To the northwest is a ruined structure of some type, and to the
southwest is a luxury apartment tower. The main entrance to Midland Cemetery is
east of here.

>DROP METAL OBJECT
Dropped.

>WEST
Vacant Lot
You are in a large, vacant lot, strewn with rubble. The only way out of the lot
is a small opening in the rubble to the east.
There is a rusty cross here.

That's because ST-MICHAELS-F always moves the cross when you enter:

        <COND (<EQUAL? ,SYEAR 2071>
               <MOVE ,RUSTY-CROSS ,HERE>
               <FCLEAR ,ST-MICHAELS ,NARTICLEBIT>
               <PUTP ,ST-MICHAELS ,P?SDESC "Vacant Lot">)
              (T
               <FSET ,ST-MICHAELS ,NARTICLEBIT>
               <PUTP ,ST-MICHAELS ,P?SDESC "St. Michael's">)>)

It should probably check if RUSTY-CROSS has TOUCHBIT or not, in which case it also needs to clear TOUCHBIT in (probably) JIGS-UP.

(Testing if it's in LOCAL-GLOBALS is not safe enough, because the cross may be moved back there, e.g. if you get robbed.)

the-infocom-files / amfv

When you enter ST-MICHAELS in 2071, the rusty cross is always there #62