‘Food?’
Some of their alien guests could eat in the dining room alongside the human guests. Wearing the holo-emitters Tom lent them, they were totally indistinguishable from real humans, and lots of aliens were curious to try Earth cuisine. Amelia felt sorry for them that their only experience would be Dad’s cooking, but most seemed to enjoy it. Some aliens couldn’t digest human food, though, and so, every now and then, special room service had to be arranged. Like their very first guest, Miss Ardman, and her tank of giant centipedes.
‘Yes, but what’s it doing there? ’ Charlie persisted.
He was right. Any non-human food should have either been in the kitchen, or safely delivered to the alien’s room. It shouldn’t be left out where any actual human might see it and get curious.
Amelia wasn’t interested in hotel procedure right now, though. She was too focused on what Mum was saying to the woman at the counter.
‘I’m sorry.’ Mum’s voice was very polite, but absolutely unbudging. ‘There are no rooms available in that wing of the hotel.’
The family wing, Amelia realised. All the guests, even Lady Naomi who’d been there longer than the Walkers, slept in the wing at the top of the right-hand stairs. The rooms at the top of the left-hand stairs were where the Walkers slept. It was totally off limits to guests.
‘But I so want a room with a big bay window,’ the woman said. ‘And you’ve told me the bay-window room is already taken on the other side.’
Lady Naomi’s room, Amelia thought, then stared as she realised what the woman was really saying. She wants my room!
She was indignant at the woman’s cheek, but not too worried – obviously Mum wouldn’t chuck Amelia out of her own bedroom.
‘I really must insist,’ the woman went on. ‘I don’t care how much it costs, you know. Whatever the amount – go on, make up something silly. I’ll pay it! That’s how much my heart is set on it.’ She put her handbag on the reception desk and opened it, as if Mum had already agreed.
Who does she think she is? Amelia saw a spectacular bracelet sparkling on the woman’s wrist as she pulled out her wallet and smiled at Mum.
Charlie tugged at Amelia’s elbow, a strange look on his face. ‘Don’t ask why, but I think we should go to your room. Like, now .’
Amelia didn’t want to miss how Mum was going to deal with this pushy guest, but she kind of wanted to go to her room too. More than anything, just to show that woman whose room it really was.
She followed him to the left-hand stairs, but, just as her foot touched the first step, the hotel lobby burned up in a blinding flash of white light streaked through with blue.
Amelia finished washing her hands at the sink and went back to put up her chair, wiping her hands on her uniform. Around her, it was the usual Friday afternoon chaos. Shani and Sophie F were still trying to do a bit more on their self-portraits, whereas Charlie had packed up ages ago and already had his bag by his desk, ready to go as soon as the bell rang. He looked up at the clock, his leg jiggling impatiently. The rest of the class bustled around, washing paintbrushes, hanging art smocks, and pegging …
Amelia froze. She blinked as though she’d just woken from a dream. She gazed over at Charlie and saw that he was looking back at her, frowning in puzzlement.
Sophie T weaved between the tables, narrowly avoiding Erik as he flipped his chair upside down and put it on his desk. She was so focused on not spilling the jar of filthy paint-water she was carrying that Amelia worried she would trip over something. It seemed so obvious what would happen next, so … necessary, that when Sophie T caught her foot on Charlie’s bag and fell, shrieking and sprawling to the floor, Amelia almost felt relieved.
‘ Again? ’ Charlie said, as Dean stared dumbfounded at the dripping mess on the front of his uniform.
Sophie T picked herself up from the carpet, ignoring the
Some of their alien guests could eat in the dining room alongside the human guests. Wearing the holo-emitters Tom lent them, they were totally indistinguishable from real humans, and lots of aliens were curious to try Earth cuisine. Amelia felt sorry for them that their only experience would be Dad’s cooking, but most seemed to enjoy it. Some aliens couldn’t digest human food, though, and so, every now and then, special room service had to be arranged. Like their very first guest, Miss Ardman, and her tank of giant centipedes.
‘Yes, but what’s it doing there? ’ Charlie persisted.
He was right. Any non-human food should have either been in the kitchen, or safely delivered to the alien’s room. It shouldn’t be left out where any actual human might see it and get curious.
Amelia wasn’t interested in hotel procedure right now, though. She was too focused on what Mum was saying to the woman at the counter.
‘I’m sorry.’ Mum’s voice was very polite, but absolutely unbudging. ‘There are no rooms available in that wing of the hotel.’
The family wing, Amelia realised. All the guests, even Lady Naomi who’d been there longer than the Walkers, slept in the wing at the top of the right-hand stairs. The rooms at the top of the left-hand stairs were where the Walkers slept. It was totally off limits to guests.
‘But I so want a room with a big bay window,’ the woman said. ‘And you’ve told me the bay-window room is already taken on the other side.’
Lady Naomi’s room, Amelia thought, then stared as she realised what the woman was really saying. She wants my room!
She was indignant at the woman’s cheek, but not too worried – obviously Mum wouldn’t chuck Amelia out of her own bedroom.
‘I really must insist,’ the woman went on. ‘I don’t care how much it costs, you know. Whatever the amount – go on, make up something silly. I’ll pay it! That’s how much my heart is set on it.’ She put her handbag on the reception desk and opened it, as if Mum had already agreed.
Who does she think she is? Amelia saw a spectacular bracelet sparkling on the woman’s wrist as she pulled out her wallet and smiled at Mum.
Charlie tugged at Amelia’s elbow, a strange look on his face. ‘Don’t ask why, but I think we should go to your room. Like, now .’
Amelia didn’t want to miss how Mum was going to deal with this pushy guest, but she kind of wanted to go to her room too. More than anything, just to show that woman whose room it really was.
She followed him to the left-hand stairs, but, just as her foot touched the first step, the hotel lobby burned up in a blinding flash of white light streaked through with blue.
Amelia finished washing her hands at the sink and went back to put up her chair, wiping her hands on her uniform. Around her, it was the usual Friday afternoon chaos. Shani and Sophie F were still trying to do a bit more on their self-portraits, whereas Charlie had packed up ages ago and already had his bag by his desk, ready to go as soon as the bell rang. He looked up at the clock, his leg jiggling impatiently. The rest of the class bustled around, washing paintbrushes, hanging art smocks, and pegging …
Amelia froze. She blinked as though she’d just woken from a dream. She gazed over at Charlie and saw that he was looking back at her, frowning in puzzlement.
Sophie T weaved between the tables, narrowly avoiding Erik as he flipped his chair upside down and put it on his desk. She was so focused on not spilling the jar of filthy paint-water she was carrying that Amelia worried she would trip over something. It seemed so obvious what would happen next, so … necessary, that when Sophie T caught her foot on Charlie’s bag and fell, shrieking and sprawling to the floor, Amelia almost felt relieved.
‘ Again? ’ Charlie said, as Dean stared dumbfounded at the dripping mess on the front of his uniform.
Sophie T picked herself up from the carpet, ignoring the