"Grand Altesti Hotel, Grand Altesti Hotel..." Rem repeated, thumbing with one gloved hand through a phone book, huddled in a phone booth not far from the station. He held a slip of paper in his other hand with the hotel name written on it, and pinned the phone's receiver between his neck and shoulder.
"Here we are." he said, pocketing the slip of paper, and entering the long number into the keypad. He set the phone book back down on the low shelf in the booth, grabbed the receiver in one hand, and straightened his shoulders.
There was a moment of silence, then came a voice from the other end of the line.
"Hello, this is the Grand Altesti Hotel, how may I help you?" asked the pleasant voice of a young sounding woman.
"Hello, yes, my name is Oreth Allmahn, I've a reservation."
There was a sound of shuffling papers on the other line, as well as the faint sounds of business as usual.
"Oh, yes, Mr. Allmahn!" the young woman said, as if in apparent realization of an obvious fact, "You're our very special guest. I've been instructed to send a driver to pick you up, is that correct?"
"That's what I was told from the main office in Steinway."
"Well then, we'll send someone right away. May I ask from where you are calling?"
"From the train station." he said, dryly.
"Oh, of course." she said, sounding rather embarrassed. After a short silence, the young woman spoke again, "Well, a car has been sent, and will be arriving shortly."
"Thank you" said Rem, mechanically.
"I apologize in advance for the time it will take to arrive. Goodbye."
"Goodbye." Rem said, hanging the phone up.
Rem left the phone booth and crossed the street to get back to the station, where he sat on a bench to wait. He sat nearly motionlessly, watching people walk by.
Rem sniffed and shivered a bit, and held himself a bit tighter. It had begun snowing almost as he had arrived in Altesti, and what little sunlight he'd seen while on the train was gone now.
"Why's this city got to be so bloody cold?", he thought, "I thought we'd traveled south from Steinway."
Looking around him, Rem noticed the life of the city, so many people going to and fro, despite the cold.
In the distance, there were few skyscrapers to speak of, but a wide array of buildings of various heights none the less. The architectural style was slightly different from the buildings he'd seen back in Steinway, which, being the capitol, had a great amount of rustic looking buildings, to promote a sense of permanence. Here the designs were more practical, and abounded with the personal touches of their inhabitants.
The people who traveled by were of diverse ethnicities and clothing styles, giving the city a cosmopolitan air about it, at least in Rem's mind.
Cars drove by endlessly, mostly large, commercial vehicles, come in from the highway that led out of the city, following the same path of the train which he had come in from. Of the few private vehicles, he saw groups of happy, adolescent occupants within.
While watching just one such car drive by, he noticed a black car pull in near where he sat. As the door opened, a middle aged man clad in driver's uniform and cap, with a bulbous nose, receding hairline and bright eyes stepped out.
"Mr. Allmahn, I presume?" he asked, approaching the bench.
"Yes. And you're here to take me to the Grand Altesti Hotel, I take it."
"Of course sir." the driver added, with a smile.
Rem stood up and brushed the bits of snow that clung to him off his clothes. The driver opened a door on the second set of doors on the elegant looking car.
"Get in sir," he said sympathetically, "you must be damned cold."
"Thank you" said Rem. He got into the car, and as the driver shut the door for him, Rem took off his outer cloak-like apparel and fastened his seat belt. The driver entered the car and fastened his seat belt as well, and adjusted the seat and mirror's slightly.
"Well, best be on our way then" the driver said, starting the engine and adjusting his cap.
The driver shifted into drive and carefully pulled into the coming stream of cars.
"My name is Elvie Winton," said the driver, " though I doubt you care 'bout that much" he chuckled.
Rem, not quite sure how to respond, didn't.
"Want to hear a bit 'bout this city then?" Winton asked. "Well I'll tell you then," he said, not giving Rem a chance to answer.
"This is the city of Altesti, of course; founded in... well some odd year." Winton explained. "I'm from a little town called Erry, not but forty-five kilometers west of Penspire, which is near ol' Steinway, so course I don't know too much 'bout this place, not even really part of the country yet, still in the status of 'Territory'."
"Well, anyway, used to be the capital of some little country a decade or so back, before our country, The Persistence (always thought our nation'd a bit of an odd name) came in and adopted the place, so to speak."
Winton took a sharp turn that made Rem shift dramatically in the car. They had just passed a building that seemed to be the capitol building, with a crowd of protesters out front. Winton seemed to notice, but not care, so Rem assumed it was a common enough occurrence as to shrug off.
"But before The Persistence came in, this grand little place used to be not much more than a ruddy little coal mining town. Was as dirty as can be."
"And that's 'bout it, nothing really more interesting ever happened here or is happening. It's that sort of place." WInton said, seeming to have finally stopped his rambling.
The car made another sharp turn, and passed by what appeared to be the city's shopping market, where droves of people were walking and driving about.
"Tell me 'bout yourself Mr. Allmahn, what kind of man are you?" Winton asked after a long silence.
"Well, what kind of man do you think I am?" retorted Rem.
"I've been around for some time, Mr. Allmahn," started Winton, "and I must say, you're a most peculiar gentleman. You don't hardly say a word, and I can't judge what kind of person you are at all. So I ask again, what kind of person?"
"I'm a determined man."
"Oh? And what are you determined to do?"
"The very thing I've come here to do, to find my sister, she's been missing for almost a month now."
"Your sister, you say?" Winton inquired, rather curiously, "What's she like?"
"Her name is Anakaitsie, she's the only family I've got. She's a brilliant, unique little girl." Rem said, sounding rather nostalgic.
"To what extent would you go to find her?" Winton asked, preforming an elaborate maneuver through a fleet of cars.
"Any", Rem stated resolutely, gripping onto the white leather interior, in an attempt to remain upright.
"Now that's devotion," Winton said with a sincere smile, "it's rare to see that sort of thing in kids these days." He stabilized the car and Rem relaxed in his seat.
Looking out the window, Rem spotted the Grand Altesti Hotel, a few blocks away, a magnificent building, ornate yet functional, an admirable design.
"Well, we're just 'bout here now." Winton remarked, proudly.
The car pulled into the enclosed front lot of the hotel, rounding in on a drop off section where employees in uniform with luggage dollies bustled about. Winton parked carefully, turned off the engine, and stepped out. He made his way to the back and opened Rem's door.
Rem got out uncomfortably, his height making it somewhat difficult to get in and out of smaller cars, and stretched his back and arms.
"Well, the lobby's through here," said Winton, pointing to the large, automatic glass doors at the entrance, "I've got to be going, I'm afraid." He worked his way back into the car, started the engine, and, with a wave in Rem's direction, he sped off into the traffic.
Rem smiled a small, almost imperceptible smile, and walked through the large doorway.
Inside the door was a large expansive room, with a high ceiling, and many corridors, lined with paintings and potted plants, and jostling with men in business suits, and the occasional family.
Rem walked up to the front desk slowly, still taking in his surroundings. As he approached the desk, the young, blond woman behind the counter greeted him curtly.
"Welcome to the Grand Altesti Hotel, may I be of assistance?"
"Yes, I've reservations here, I'm Oreth Allmahn." he said, without emotion.
"Oh yes, we talked over the phone." she said, delightedly, "I didn't think you'd be quite so young, or good looking from the sound of your voice. I'd expected you to be another stuffy old businessman, by the importance of your case."
"Sorry to disappoint," Rem said, with a slight tinge of sarcasm, "now, where is my room?"
"Oh! Sorry, I didn't mean to bore you, I've a habit of talking too much." she stated, apologetically.
"Not a problem," Rem politely explained, "seems everyone's been doing it."
"You must be referring to Mr. Winton." she said, cheerfully, "yes, he's quite the talker, usually a hit with the customers."
"Yes he certainly talked... Well, my room?" Rem added, once more without emotion.
"Ah!" she exclaimed, her face turning a shade of red, "I'm sorry, I did it again. Here you are," she said, handing him a set of keys with a thick plastic tag binding them with the text: "ROOM No. 748" printed on both sides, "Please enjoy your stay with us."
"Thank you." said Rem, taking the keys from her hand, and seeing her blush as his hand touched hers, smirked a bit.
Rem checked a sign on the eastern wall in the lobby, stating where rooms could be found by number. Rooms 600 through 800 where listed as being on the fourth floor, to get to which, the elevator on the lobby's eastern wing would have to be used.
Walking only a short distance, and, rounding a corner, Rem made it to a large area where four elevators were at work. The elevator second to the right opened up, and a group of businessmen stepped out, discussing politics, Rem assumed, having heard them talk about the "Loffman Administration", and its various faults. Ignoring this, Rem stepped into the elevator interior, and pressed the button marked "4" which lit up, and the doors began to slowly close. The lift went clear up, with a window to its back, causing Rem to feel a bit uneasy looking out.
Even so, Rem found the view fantastic, to be able to look out on the city, and to see all its intricacies, its people and places in all their myriad beauty, all bathed in a fresh snow, was a breathtaking experience.
As Rem gazed on, the elevator doors opened behind him, startling him slightly. He regained his composure, and exited the lift.
Rem walked through the vacant halls of door after door, counting the number plates on the doors, as they gradually became larger, from 600 up. As he got into the 700's the doors began to have greater space between them, seemingly so that the rooms would have greater room within them. He went further and further down until he reached room 748, as printed on his keys. He inserted the largest key into its hole and turned. The door gave way, and he was greeted by the rooms beautiful interior; a large beautiful bed, small dining area, a variety of plants, and a large television and stereo system in the corner. The room's most fetching feature, however, was the large window over looking the city, sealed tightly to keep the cold out, but with a balcony and chairs arranged outside it.
Upon entering the room, Rem noticed a note upon the table nearest the door, which read:
I hope you find this room to your liking, it was chosen especially to suit your needs, and to aid in your search. Try not to be too serious, there is much opportunity for leisure here, don't squander it like you used to always do. Please remember to report in to the Steinway offices regularly.
Signed, S.K.
The note was written in rather childish handwriting, and Rem could not for the life of him recall who this "S.K." fellow was, nor how he seemed to know him as well as the note implied.
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