I'm stuck in the original Devil May Cry. I've defeated the nightmare blob creature and I'm supposed to go back across the bridge to the broken path and install something. I can't get across where the purple, poisonous pool is at the bottom. Just can't reach that ledge. I keep falling into the purple liquid after trying the jump and it does damage. I think there must be a way to fix the broken path but I don't think there's even a dial on the wall here to hit. The dials in the first room no longer register hits.

Am I in the right spot? Why can't I get across? The game was so easy to this point (playing on easy, sorry). Really it was a breeze til I got here and now I've got these shadows that are a pain and I can't get across this broken path.

I'm in the vicinity of Mission 16 - I need to know what to do after defeating the nightmare boss. (see original post for details)

That's what I'm looking for - the stone tablet that I can use the Staff of Hermes on. I read about it in a faq, but it didn't say where it was except that it was past the "broken path". I was thinking I had to drop those pieces of path in the room with the poisonous purple pool and the tablet would be at the end but I can't drop the path pieces. Maybe I've already done that.

[most important question]Where is this stone tablet?[/most important question]
I suppose I should check my items for the staff of hermes. I don't even know if I have it.

I got it, lol. There was a door a door right there in the room with the blob afterwards. Went through there to the broken path and found the tablet I needed to install the Staff of Hermes. So now all is well.

A speed run on youtube was of great help.

By the way, I got Air Raid for that other path, but the reward there was some sort of weapon, not essential and not the thing I was looking for.