daily parade of questions and problems started. Even when
I did decide to try to sleep in, the others would be up and
about, so I felt pressured to rise and join in for fear I might
be excluded from an important or interesting conversation.
Consequently, now that I had a chance to laze about I fully
intended to take advantage of it. Besides, between the res-
taurant and the police it had been a rough night.
Unfortunately, it seemed the rest of the world had different
ideas about my sleeping habits.
I had had trouble dozing off anyway, what with the unac-
customed traffic noise and all. When I did finally manage
to get to sleep, it seemed I had barely closed my eyes when
there was a brisk knocking at the door of my room.
81
82 Robert Asprin
“Wazzit?” I called, struggling to get my eyes open far
enough to navigate.
In response, the door opened and the bellhop who had
brought my luggage up the day before came bustling into ,
the room.
“Sorry to bother you so early, Mr. Skeeve, but
there’s …”
He stopped abruptly and peered around the room. I was
still trying to figure out what he was looking for when he
returned his attention to me once more.
“Mr. Skeeve?” he said again, his voice as hesitant as
his manner.
“Yes?” I responded, trying to hold my annoyance in
check. ‘ ‘You had something to tell me? Something I assume
couldn’t wait until a decent hour?”
If I had hoped to rebuff him, I failed dismally. At the
sound of my voice his face brightened and he relaxed visibly.
“So it is you. You had me going there for a minute.