So far, so good…
I turned my attention to the man hurrying up. He had slicked-back hair and a little beard, which I can see the point of, but it doesn’t look good on me. “Hola! We’re here to check in.”
He did his best to look down at me, but, alas, the two of us were the same height. “I am sure that you are not.”
I considered that. “No,” I decided after a moment of visible thought, “I’m pretty sure this is the Xanadu. There should be a reservation, under ‘Tom Vargas?’”
The manager shook his head. “No,” he sneered, without even looking at the reservation book.
Lucas stirred, slightly, and stopped as I held up one finger. “No problem! Guess I was told the wrong place. Lucas, did you see a ‘graph office around here?” I asked him as we started walking away. I could see the bellhop’s face switch from ‘amused sneer’ to ‘sudden puzzlement’ as we walked by and slowed my pace just a bit.
“You mean the heliograph system you guys use? Sure, there’s just one down the street. Aren’t they expensive, though?”
“Oh, I won’t be paying for it, either way.” Behind me I could hear the first signs of consternation at the reception desk. “Hey, when they catch up to us, keep going.”
“Sure.” Lucas gave it a beat. “Why?”
“It’ll be funnier that way.”