January 3,
1374
Tully says, "We need a room for the night. Do you have any rooms available?"
"Only one room...for all of you?"
Tully says, "Yes. We have bedrolls, so we should be ok."
"Hmmm...either an adventuring party or a gay sex orgy," the creature says, "Not that there is much difference. Smoking or non?"
Tully chuckles. "Hmm, not sure. Any smokers or tokers here?"
"Me!" says Wang, raising his...whatever.
"Non-smoking, please," replies Darian.
"So, the dick wants smoking and the rest of you non. How about that thing that the dick is attached to?"
Tully says, "Non smoking for all of us, please."
"For one night the cost is a pound of living flesh, the soul of your
firstborn, or a gold piece. That includes the complementary
incontinental breakfast and access to the pool."
Darian hands over a gold piece. "I'd rather not give up flesh or any children's souls."
Lo and Wang sigh, at the same time.
"Fine!"
He takes the money and hands you a plastic card. There is a number written on the card: 666.
"End of the hallway and up one flight of stairs," the creature says with a vague gesture.
Tully takes the card and says, "Thanks...I hope."
He heads to the room. "Watney, what has been your experience in this place in dealing with the establishments?"
Watney scratches his head.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean....the food here is terrible. The service seems terrible. What
should we expect in the Styx Hotel room with a room number that matches
the same number of layers in the Abyss? Nycodaemon under the bed and a
pack of werewolves in the closet? Giant squid in the bathtub? I just
want to prepare myself."
Watney shrugs.
"I don't know. I've never stayed at a Motel Styx. Did you want to go to the Super Hate down the road, instead?"
"Have you stayed there and what was it like?"
"Horrible. I got beat up and strung up from a cross. For a cleric of Thor that's an awful thing to have done to you."
"Maybe we should sleep in the car or the Jupiter II," Tully says.
"In the Pinto?" asks Watney incredulously. "I'll take my chances in the room!"
"How is that worse?" Tully asks.
"Hopefully we can all fit in the room!"
"And why are we staying the night?" The monk and his small companion inquire.
"Because we're tired," says Vardui with a yawn. "It's been a long day."
By this time you have climbed the stairs and before you is room 666.
Sliding the card through a slot, the door opens. On the other side is a
small suite, with a king-sized bed, a dresser, a table and several
chairs. The entire far wall is curtained off. Atop the dresser is a
large box with an opaque glass front facing outwards. A door to your
left opens into a small bathroom with a bathtub, sink, and a strange
porcelain apparatus, evidently designed for sitting on, though with
that hole in the seat it cannot be very comfortable.
Apart from being painted in very dark and gloomy colours, the place does not look too bad.
Next
day...