Hotel Scenes from the Velvet Paw of Asquith Novels

Chapter 7

From The Alchemists Of Vra, Chapter 22

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In which Oscar realises that the only thing more difficult than checking into a hotel room is checking into someone else's.

There was a tug at his scarf.

"He's not here," Vaasi-Vee said, having returned.

"What?"

"The D'dôdô-Sette is no longer here at the hotel."

After staring at her, he stared at the desk. She'd been there only a minute. "What about our reservations?" he asked.

"Done. But the D'dôdô-Sette is not here. We missed him by no more than an hour, apparently."

He looked at her. "Are you quite serious?"

She nodded worriedly.

"No, I mean in having already sorted out reservation?" he asked, staring at the desk again. It had taken him almost a week.

She gave him a key as proof. "Yes, Oscar. All done. But the D'dôdô-Sette is not here."

Having stared at the desk, he then stared at the myriad of animals at it, none of which were hitting anything. "You mean you have organised our reservations that quickly? Without needing to change your name, or the alphabet or re-registering your place of birth or anything?"

Now it was her turn for confusion.

"What are you going on about?" But then she didn't care. "The D'dôdô-Sette, Oscar, is no longer a guest at this hotel."

"That's unbelievable."

"I know! I specifically recall him saying he intended to stay here for some time, skiing and relaxing and showing off."

"No, I mean it's unbelievable you managed to confirm our reservations so quickly—with that same idiot animal at the desk. How in fluff did you manage it? Vaasi-Vee isn't spelt with a G, is it?" He pushed past her, convinced his attempt had been for their amusement and at his expense.

But Vaasi-Vee had enough. "Oscar!"

He turned. She looked beautiful and worried—a combination in companion he'd become familiar with after his previous books. He sighed. "I'm sorry. I was just rather flustered last time I was here."

"What are we going to do?"

Their plan hinged on her conviction that the D'dôdô-Sette remained in Plempt. If the cat wasn't here, then he could be anywhere.

Literally.

"We'd better be certain," Oscar decided. "What room was he in?"

She frowned for a moment. "Four hundred and thirteen?"

He nodded. "Right. Wait here."

After striding across the foyer, he waited at a randomly chosen letter of the alphabet, as it clearly made no difference to anything.

A receptionist turned to him and smiled.

"I need to get into room four hundred and thirteen," Oscar said, having no idea how he might rationalise such claims if asked.

Which he was.

"I see, sir. And why exactly is that?"

"Because I need to."

"I see."

There was a disinterested look at something behind the desk that could have been a goldfish for all Oscar knew.