The receptionist led them away from the counter, past the central staircase, and toward the far left side of the lobby.
Alucent followed, his ribs aching with each step. The hot bath would help. He hoped it would help.
The staircase at the far end was beautiful. Wrought-iron railings curved upward in elegant spirals, and the steps themselves were polished marble veined with bronze. Gas lamps lined the walls at regular intervals, their soft glow reflecting off the copper pipes that ran along the ceiling.
They climbed to the highest floor. Alucent gripped the railing as he went, using it to take some of the strain off his bruised body. No one commented on it.
The passage at the top stretched long and wide, lined with doors on both sides. Each door was solid Ironvine wood with brass fittings, and above each one hung a gold-plated card bearing a different word.
They walked for perhaps two minutes before the receptionist stopped.
"Here we are," she said, gesturing to a door on the right. The gold-plated card above it read "Blum" in elegant script.
She turned and pointed to the door directly opposite. "Corp" was written on its card.
"These are your two rooms," she said, looking at Alucent. "Both are identical in layout and amenities."
Alucent nodded. "Alright."
Blum. Corp? He glanced between the two names. Someone has a dark sense of humor in this hotel.
The receptionist handed him two keys, each attached to a brass holder with the room name engraved on it. He took them and turned the keys over in his hand.
"Where is the restaurant located?" he asked.
"You need not worry about that," the receptionist said. "When you are ready to eat, simply use the telephone in your room. The number to call is written on a piece of paper beside it. Someone will bring food to you, or escort you to the dining hall if you prefer."
Raya let out a small breath of relief. "That is convenient."
The receptionist smiled and inclined her head. "If you need anything else, please do not hesitate to call. Enjoy your stay at Nirvana's Steam."
She turned and walked back down the passage, her footsteps quiet on the carpet.
Raya looked between the two doors. "Which rooms should we pick?"
Alucent shrugged, the motion sending a twinge through his ribs. "They are the same. Choose whichever you want."
Joy looked at Raya, and something passed between them. A smile curved Joy's lips. Raya returned it.
*They are scheming something,* Alucent thought.
"I choose Blum," Raya said. "I like the name."
Joy nodded. "Yes. I was hoping you would choose it."
Gryan shifted his weight, his mechanical arm clicking softly. "What about the driver? John. Will he share a room with Alucent and me?"
Joy paused and looked at Alucent. "Would that be alright?"
Alucent considered it for a moment. "There are two beds in each room. We will figure it out." He chuckled, then winced as his ribs protested. "It is a men's thing."
He handed the key marked "Blum" to Joy. She took it, her gloved fingers brushing against his briefly.
Then she and Raya turned to their door.
Raya practically lunged for it, snatching the key from Joy's hand and jamming it into the lock. She twisted it, pushed the door open, and disappeared inside. Joy followed close behind, her composed stride only slightly faster than usual.
The door shut behind them.
Alucent shook his head and let out a soft chuckle.
Gryan's mouth curved into a wide smile. "Let women be women, my dear friend."
Alucent turned to look at him. "Hope it is not what I am thinking?"
"What do you mean?"
Alucent's chuckle deepened into a quiet laugh, low enough that only Gryan could hear. "Are you also hoping to see what the inside of the room looks like? Are you just like them?" He raised an eyebrow. "Should I let women just be women?"
Gryan laughed. He did not answer, but his eyes moved to the door marked "Corp" with obvious anticipation.
Caught him, Alucent thought.
He turned to the Corp door, inserted the key, and pushed it open.
The room beyond was vast.
The stateroom spanned the full floor-plate of the tower, wide and high-ceilinged. Soot-kissed red brick walls were framed by pulsing copper exoskeletons, the metal gleaming in the light from the floor-to-ceiling arched windows on the far side. Through the glass, Alucent could see the slow-turning brass cogs that powered the hotel's systems, and beyond them, the city spread out toward the distant hills.
Two four-poster beds stood side by side in the center of the room, constructed from salvaged airship girders with deep emerald velvet curtains and gold-gear embroidery. A six-foot marble aisle separated them. The beds hung from tempered-steel railway suspensions that kept them perfectly balanced.
Between the beds, a brass telescope on a geared swivel pointed toward an arched glass ceiling. The tower's main drive shaft rotated slowly overhead, visible through the glass.
Gryan exhaled beside him. "Holy Goddess Anima."
Alucent grinned. "Well then. Do you not like what you see, my lady friend?"
Gryan looked at him, his expression torn between amusement and genuine awe. "I never expected such a room." He shook his head slowly. "It blew my expectations away."
From somewhere beyond the wall, a female voice screamed in excitement. Raya. Alucent could identify that pitch anywhere.
He laughed, then pressed a hand to his side as his ribs protested. "Sounds like they are having a similar reaction."
Gryan was still staring at the ceiling, at the rotating drive shaft, at the telescope. Lost in it.
Alucent snapped his fingers. "Gryan."
The mechanic blinked and looked at him.
"I need to freshen up," Alucent said. He was already moving toward the corner of the room, where a light Ironvine door stood. "I feel filthy. Have your moment of awe. I will join you when I am clean."
He reached the door and slid it open to the left.
The bathroom was immaculate.
Two claw-foot copper tubs stood side by side, their surfaces polished to a mirror shine. Visible valves labeled "Pressure," "Temperature," and "Perfume" lined the edges of each tub. Twin pressure gauges climbed the wall beside them, their needles resting at zero. A double marble vanity ran along the opposite wall, fitted with pneumatic mail chutes and brass fixtures. Two wrought-iron cheval mirrors stood in the corners, their frames decorated with gear motifs.
The architects who designed this hotel, Alucent thought, are talented. Whoever they are, I would like to meet them.
He filed the thought away. After bathing and eating, they would go out to shop for new clothes. He could use that opportunity to ask questions. The population of the city. The architects of the hotel. And the date.
Raya explained the calendar to me once. I did not truly understand it. I need to ask about today's date in a way that does not reveal my ignorance.
He pushed the mental notes aside and closed the sliding door.
The bath was everything he had hoped for.
The hot water stung his bruises at first, sharp and uncomfortable, but then the heat seeped into his muscles and the tension began to drain away. The "Perfume" valve released something that smelled of sandalwood and copper, and he let himself sink deeper into the tub until only his face remained above the surface.
This is good, he thought. This is exactly what I needed.
He stayed in the water until his fingers pruned and the ache in his ribs had faded to something distant and manageable. Then he climbed out, dried himself with a thick cotton towel, and found the hotel outfit folded neatly on a shelf beside the vanity.
Black shirt. Black trousers. The name "Nirvana's Steam" was embroidered on the chest area of the shirt in gold thread.
He dressed and examined himself in the cheval mirror. The bruising on his face was still visible, purple and yellow spreading across his left cheek, but the swelling had gone down. His long curly hair hung damp around his shoulders. His blue eyes looked tired, but clearer than they had been.
Ah... Better, he thought.
He slid the bathroom door open and stepped out.
Gryan was sitting on the bed at the left side of the room, his mechanical arm resting on his knee. He looked up as Alucent emerged.
"Your turn," Alucent said. "You will like what you see in there."
Gryan did not hesitate. He stood and walked past Alucent, disappearing into the bathroom. The door slid shut behind him.
Alucent walked to the bed on the right side and sat down. The railway suspension shifted slightly beneath his weight, adjusting to his body, and the mattress was softer than anything he had felt since arriving in this world.
He leaned back against the pillows and closed his eyes.
Just rest, he thought. Just for a moment.
He did not sleep, but he let himself drift, listening to the faint sound of water running in the bathroom and the distant hum of the hotel's machinery.
After some time, the bathroom door slid open. Gryan emerged, dressed in the same hotel outfit. The black shirt was tighter on him than it had been on Alucent, stretching across his broad shoulders and chest.
Gryan looked down at himself and frowned. "It fits. Barely."
Alucent opened his eyes and sat up. "You look presentable."
Gryan grunted and walked to the bed on the left side. He sat down heavily, and the suspension creaked beneath his weight.
"Should we wait a bit before we knock on their door?" Gryan asked.
Alucent shook his head. "We wait until they knock on ours. Women are known for taking a long time preparing for anything."
Gryan considered this for a moment. Then he nodded. "Fair."
They waited.
The minutes stretched on. Alucent watched the drive shaft rotating slowly overhead through the arched glass ceiling. Gryan examined his mechanical arm, flexing the fingers and checking the rune-lines that traced along its surface.
Thirty minutes passed.
Then a knock came at the door.
Gryan let out a sigh of relief. "Finally."
He stood and walked to the door. Alucent rose from his bed and followed, moving slower, his ribs reminding him that they were not yet healed.
Gryan opened the door.
Raya and Joy stood in the passage, dressed in their hotel outfits. The black shirts and trousers were simple, but they wore them well. Raya's chestnut hair was down, falling past her shoulders in loose waves instead of its usual tight bun. Joy's blonde hair seemed brighter somehow, catching the light from the gas lamps in the passage, and her blue eyes were clear and rested.
Gryan stood in the doorway, staring.
Is he lost for words? Alucent thought. He moved up behind Gryan to see for himself.
He understood the reaction. Even in simple clothes, without makeup or jewelry or any of the trappings of nobility, the two women looked beautiful. Perhaps it was the rest. Perhaps it was the bath. Perhaps it was simply the contrast to how they had looked after the battle with Tyranix.
Whatever it was, Alucent found himself momentarily speechless as well.
Raya grinned at them, her hazel eyes bright with excitement.
"So," she said, "will you men just stand there, or are we going to eat and then go shopping for new clothes?"
Alucent and Gryan answered at the same time, their voices overlapping.
"Yes, let's go."