The Trial of Morrigan Crow; Morrigan Crow's Revenge

Chapter 6 - Morningtide and A/N *EDITED*

They turned into a street called Caddisfly Alley, flat-out sprinting now down the twisting, mazelike backstreet. Morrigan thought it would never end, but at last they stopped outside a curved wooden door with a small sign reading HOTEL DEUCALION in faded gold lettering.

"Home sweet home," Morrigan whispered, making sure that Jupiter doesn't hear her.

Jupiter was fumbling with a brass ring of keys when the door flew open and Morrigan jumped back in surprise.

Looming in the doorway was a cat. Fenestra, Morrigan thought.

Fenestra turned its enormous gray head toward Jupiter and spoke.

"I see you've brought my breakfast."

Morrigan chuckled quietly as the cat's fist-sized amber eyes scanned her up and down. Finally, it turned and slunk back inside. Morrigan held her laughter back. She truly missed the Magnificat.  Jupiter lead her through the doorway as Jupiter said to the animal's hulking backside as it led them down a long, narrow, dimly lit hallway.

"Very funny. I hope you've got my breakfast on, you matted old brute. How long have we got?"

"Six and a half minutes," the cat called back to him. "You're cutting it stupidly fine as usual. Do take those disgusting boots off before you go walking mud across the lobby, won't you?"

Jupiter held one hand on Morrigan's shoulder, steering her straight ahead. Gas lanterns in sconces on the wall were turned low. It was hard to see much, but the carpet looked shabby and worn and the wallpaper peeled in places. There was a faint smell of damp. They reached a steep wooden staircase and began to climb.

"This is the service entrance. Ghastly, I know—needs some fixing up," said Jupiter, Morrigan nodded to his words. Until now, she still doesn't understand why no one had bothered to fix the service entrance. "Any messages, Fen?"

The cat turned to look at him as they reached a set of glossy black double doors at the top of the landing, the cat rolled it's eyes. "How should I know? I'm not your secretary. I said take off those boots." With a thrust of its big gray head, the cat pushed open the door and they stepped into the grand room. Even though Morrigan has seen the room multiple times, she still couldn't help but be amazed. 

The lobby of the Hotel Deucalion was cavernous and bright—which came as a surprise after the dim, threadbare service entrance (although, as surprises go, it wasn't quite in the same league as being greeted at the door by a large talking cat). The floor was made of checkerboard black-and-white marble, and from the ceiling hung an enormous rose-colored chandelier in the shape of a sailing ship, dripping with crystals and bursting with warm light. There were potted trees and elegant furniture all around. A grand staircase curved around the walls, up and up to thirteen floors  in a dizzying spiral.

"You can't tell me what to do. I pay your wages!" Jupiter grumbled, but he took off his traveling boots. A young man collected them and handed Jupiter a pair of polished black shoes, which he reluctantly put on.

Staff in pink-and-gold uniforms greeted Jupiter with a cheerful "Good Morningtide, sir" or "Happy New Age, Captain North" as they passed.

"Happy New Age to you, Martha," he called in reply. "Happy New Age, Charlie. Good Morningtide, everyone! Up to the roof now, all of you, or you'll miss everything. You three—no, four—come take the elevator. Yes, you too, Martha, there's plenty of room."

As a small handful of staff obediently shadowed Jupiter across the vast lobby.

"See you up there," said the cat, leaping onto the curved staircase. "Don't dawdle." She bounded up the steps four at a time.