Today's Reading
He rode up and down the elevators, enjoying with distinct pleasure the husky woman's voice that sounded with each parting of the doors: First floor. Third floor. Seventh floor. Mind your step. He walked boldly up to the bar and asked if he could have one of the nuts from the little bowl. The bartender laughed, told him to wait, and whispered something in her colleague's ear. A minute later he was handed a bowl of oysters, garnished in butter and parsley, with a side of buttered bread. He picked it clean and had to be stopped from trying to eat the shells.
Midnight found Carl sitting cross-legged on the floor of the cocktail bar, staring at the domed glass wall. This was the top floor of the hotel, a miniature planetarium, smelling tartly of lime and gin and warm with sophisticated laughter. The evening was winding down. Behind him, servers drifted between the high tables, slotting salt-crusted glasses between their fingertips, flat wrists balancing stacked plates. Carl was trying valiantly to stay awake. He didn't know what would become of him once the night was over.
Someone placed a mug by his side and vanished before he could turn to thank them. He warmed his face in the steam for a moment, and then sipped it, tasting chocolate richer than molten gold and almost as hot. A bite of cinnamon, a twist of orange. Heaven.
He became aware of a presence at his side. A woman, ageless, severely beautiful, perfectly composed—mother-of-pearl hair over a creaseless suit. She smiled down at him.
"Have you had fun, Carl?" Her voice was husky.
He blinked himself awake.
"You know me?"
"I'm the manager. It is my business to know everyone."
Self-conscious now, he retreated deeper into his jacket. "Yes, Miss Manager, I've had fun."
"Call me Nina."
"Yes, Miss Nina."
They admired the stars.
Carl licked the chocolate from his upper lip and asked, "Are you going to send me back?"
He was already resigned to it, perhaps even a little relieved. Like a condemned man who thinks, Let's get the pain over with.
But the manager shook her head. "Haven't you noticed?"
"Noticed what, ma'am?"
"These are different stars. That shape there...." she pointed a single perfect fingernail at a certain point of light ".... is the dwarf planet Rahel. We can't send you back. You're six billion miles from home."
Carl said, "Oh."
He looked at Rahel, squinting into the bluish light, wondering how many dwarves lived down there.
"Miss Nina?"
"Yes?"
"What happens now?"
"Hmm." A curl of ivory came loose from her hair. She tucked it back under her ear, thoughtful. "That's up to you, Carl. If you want, we can send you home once we've completed our tour of the system. Or...."
He looked up at her.
".... Or you can stay," she said. "If that's what you want. We can always use a few more helping hands."
Quietly, he said, "I'd like to stay, please." Nina nodded. "Very well."
It was October 2, 2774.
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