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She stumbled on her feet a little. Reeled a little. Had to wave one hand (the one holding her “driver’s license”) for balance. There was a moment when she thought she might tumble to the floor, and then she was okay again.
“Ma’am?” the desk clerk inquired. Looking remotely—veryremotely—concerned. “Are you feeling all right?”
“Yeah,” Susa
Wondering,What in the blue hell just happened? Oh, but she knew the answer. Mia was the one with the legs,Mia. Susa
Mia, get up here. Take charge.
I can’t. Not yet. As soon as we’re alone I will.
And dear Christ, Susa
To the desk clerk, Susa
“Why—yes, sai. You use it in the elevator as well as to open your room. Just push it into the slot in the direction the arrows point. Remove it briskly. When the light on the door turns green, you may enter. I have slightly over eight thousand dollars in my cash drawer. I’ll give it all to you for your pretty thing, your turtle, yoursköldpadda, yourtortuga, yourkavvit, your—”
“No,” Susa
“Yes, sai.” No morema’am, not now. The turtle was working on her. Sanding away the gap between the worlds.
“You just forget you saw me, all right?”
“Yes, sai. Shall I put a do-not-disturb on the phone?”
Mia clamored. Susa
“As you like, sai.” Eyes on the turtle. Ever on the turtle. “Enjoy the Plaza—Park. Would you like a bellman to assist you with your bags?”
Look like I need help with these three pukey li’l things?Detta thought, but Susa
“Very well.”
Susa
“Soon comes the King, he of the Eye.”
Susa
Susa
She started across the lobby, walking with an educated stagger. The desk clerk spoke after her in a voice expressing pleasant regret, no more than that.
“When the King comes and the Tower falls, sai, all such pretty things as yours will be broken. Then there will be darkness and nothing but the howl of Discordia and the cries of the can toi.”
Susa
She thought yes.
She pushed the UP button and then put the Oriza back into its bag, praying one of the three elevator doors would open before she collapsed. The piano player had switched to “Stormy Weather.”
The door of the middle car opened. Susa
The plastic card,she reminded herself.You have to use the card.
She saw the slot and slid the card into it, being careful to push in the direction of the arrows. This time when she pushed 19, the number lit up. A moment later she was shoved rudely aside as Miacame forward.
Susa
Mia might have been a stranger in a strange land, but she was a fast learner. In the nineteenth-floor lobby she located the arrow with 1911—1923 beneath it and walked briskly down the corridor to 1919. The carpet, some thick green stuff that was delightfully soft, whispered beneath her
(their)
stolen shoes. She inserted the key-card, opened the door, and stepped in. There were two beds. She put the bags on one of them, looked around without much interest, then fixed her gaze on the telephone.
Susa
What?
How do I make it ring?
Susa
She expected an argument but didn’t get one. Mia prowled the room (not bothering to open the drapes, although Susa
Susa
THIS SAFE IS PROVIDED FOR YOUR PERSONAL BELONGINGS
THE MANAGEMENT OF THE PLAZA—PARK HYATT ASSUMES NO
RESPONSIBILITY FOR ITEMS LEFT HERE
CASH AND JEWELRY SHOULD BE DEPOSITED IN THE HOTEL SAFE
DOWNSTAIRS
TO SET CODE, PUNCH IN FOUR NUMBERS PLUS ENTER
TO OPEN, ENTER YOUR FOUR-NUMBER CODE AND PUSH OPEN
Susa
Mia tried the safe after programming it, found it locked tightly, then followed the directions for opening it. There was a whirring noise from somewhere inside and the door popped ajar. She put in the faded red MIDTOWN LANES bag—the box inside just fit on the shelf—and then the bag of Oriza plates. She closed and locked the safe’s door again, tried the handle, found it tight, and nodded. The Borders bag was still on the bed. She took the wad of cash out of it and tucked it into the right front pocket of her jeans, along with the turtle.