Strange folk were always coming to the Aeger Hospitality Inn. (And over the course of this story, you’ll meet quite a few of them) Some people would say that it was destiny that brought visitors in. Others think that the Aeger Hospitality was simply the best. Others still believed that Nikolas Aeger, the owner of the Inn, had a blackish heart with the gravitational pull of an equally blackish hole.

Whatever the reason, I reiterate; Strange folk were always coming to the Aeger Hospitality. And on the night of April the Third, Mr. Aeger saw two such folk walking along the dirt-path that led to his inn. He spied them from the window of his Private Study. One was rather tall, the other was significantly shorter, and both looked as if they had just been to Mrs. Wryshackle’s Inn; they had the deathly look of it.

Hoping that they might leave if he didn’t say anything, Mr. Aeger went back to his work, and paid no attention to them, as they rang the doorbell. He paid no attention to their knocking, or even their frantic shouts for help until he just couldn’t take it anymore, and decided to confront them.
Mr. Aeger heaved a sigh, and sauntered sluggishly to the door.

“I’m sorry, but we’ve closed for the night!” He shouted to them, for he was quite tired, and did not feel like dealing with anymore guests. ‘Try again tomorrow!’
Mr. Aeger waited a moment to see if they had gone. They hadn’t.

“We’ve got nowhere else to go!” Shouted the woman.

“I’m sorry, but I don’t cater to the likes of beggars, felons, or Frenchmen’ he said, definitively. For good measure, he added ‘ Or the Clergy, for that matter!’

“Well we’re hardly beggars!’ Shouted the Man, ‘Or felons, or Frenchmen, or Friars! I happen to be a very important man, and I don’t appreciate not being appreciated as a paying customer!”

At the sound of payment, Nikolas was quick to undo the latch and lock on the door. With great force, he flung the door open, and did his best to present himself in a businesslike manner as he greeted them.

‘Welcome to the Aeger Hospitality.’ He said, proudly. ‘I’m Mr. Aeger, the Owner and Proprietor.’

‘Oh, what a feather in your cap, that.’ Remarked the Man, snobbishly. Mr. Aeger ignored the comment.

‘You’d be wanting rooms, I’d wager?’

‘You’d wager correctly. Do you want a medal, or something?’

‘Sorry, I didn’t catch your name?’ said Mr. Aeger, his patience for this man balanced only by his thirst for money.

‘Dr. Tobias T. Popatoppingtonham, that’s Tobias to you, though.’ Doctor Popatoppingtonham said.

‘And whose this lovely woman?’ He inquired after the lady had stepped in, carrying both hers and Dr. Popatoppingtonham’s burdens. Mr. Aeger took her hand, and kissed it, politely.

‘That’d be my assistant, Belinda . . .’ said Tobias. (Here, the Good Doctor bent down to Mr. Aeger’s height, hushed his voice, and added: ‘She’s a bit heavy on the bottle; I’d advise you to keep her out of the Bar . . .’

Mr. Aeger involuntarily looked back at the Doctor’s assistant. She seemed sober enough, though Mr. Aeger was deftly prudent in these sorts of matters, and so made a note to himself.

‘You must be a very important man, to have an assistant.’ Mr. Aeger remarked.

‘Oh, no, not at all,’ Said Tobias, feigning Humbleness, ‘Only a world renowned scientist!’
Tobias’s assistant scoffed,.and mumbled something under her breath which Mr. Aeger didn't quite catch. However, Dr. Poppatoppingtonham apparently heard her clearly; he jabbed her with his elbow forthwith.

 

‘That’s enough out of you!’ he snapped, accusingly.

‘Well, I shouldn’t keep you waiting much longer,’ Said Mr. Aeger, trying desperately to change the subject, ‘My men will have your room ready in half a moment.’
Mr. Aeger retrieved a whistle from his pockets and blew two sharp notes. ‘James!’ he shouted.

Moments later, a young-looking man sporting the Aeger Hospitality Uniform came down the central staircase of the Inn. He looked bright and chipper, and professional, and Mr. Aeger quite disliked him. He was probably Mr. Aeger’s least favourite employee of all.

James was an overly-moralistic, religious thing, and an American to boot. Mr. Aeger hated Americans almost as much as he hated the French, and so was already inclined to hate James. But, unfortunately for Mr. Aeger, James was also Very Reliable as an employee, and as of yet had not lost his usefulness.

‘James; please take these two guests’, coats (and money) and lead them to an open room. And don’t forget their complementary bedtime chocolates!’

‘Right, sir.’ Said James, obediently. He took Dr. Poppatoppingtonham’s frock coat, and his Assistant’s bags, and motioned for them to follow him up a long flight of stairs. In half a moment, they had gone, and Mr. Aeger was left alone in his Lobby, to think.

Until, of course, someone disturbed him.

‘Mr. Aeger!’ A voice called. Mr. Aeger immediately identified the voice as Edvard’s; another one of his employees.

Edvard rushed up to meet Mr. Aeger, and greeted him with a smile, and a bow. And Edvard was left with his head bowed low for several awkward moments, until Mr. Aeger realized that it was customary to return the Bow.

‘Edvard, my boy! I was just about to retire for the evening; has something happened? Is Timmy stuck in that Well again?’

‘No, sir; I just have the reports for the day . . .’ said Edvard, and he handed a bundle of papers to Mr. Aeger. He flipped through them briefly, then folded them up and put the papers in his pocket.

‘Thank-you, Edvard, but . . .isn’t it Geoffrey’s job to deliver the reports? Over-achieving, are we?’

‘Oh, no sir! I mean – yes, sir! As always, sir, but . . . It’s just that – Geoffrey went back to Surrey to see his Son’s funeral . . .’

‘Oh, how sad!’ mocked Mr. Aeger, but more seriously: ‘You did tell him about the policy about docking pay if he goes over the allotted amount of sick days?’ (You were only allotted 3 sick days)

‘Of course, sir! And I also told him that you’d dock his pay if he failed to get you a Souvenir!’

‘Ah! Excellent, my boy!’ Mr. Aeger affirmed, hugging Edvard to his shoulder. ‘You’ll go quite far if you keep it up . . .’

‘Thank-you, sir!’ said Edvard. He bowed to Mr. Aeger once again, and left without waiting for him to return the favour. And Mr. Aeger watched him go, with an intermittent light in his eye.

I think it is safe to say that Edvard was one of the few people Mr. Aeger actually cared for.
~~~

Sitting quite complacently in the private study of his inn, Nikolas Aeger retrieved a bundle of mail from his inside coat pocket, and began to sift through it’s contents.

Bills, Junk Mail, and Letters of Compliment from customers were among the first that Nikolas threw into a pile marked “Not Pressing”. However, about halfway through the bundle, Nikolas came to an interesting little item.

Dear Sir, began the letter that would forever change Mr. Aeger’s life,
I regret to inform you, that
In twelve days, at exactly the twelfth hour,
Your life shall be claimedand
Your Soul shall be Mine

When Nikolas completed the brief missive, he was, of course quite surprised, but that feeling fled nearly as quickly as it was felt. In his day, Nikolas had received two prior death threats – one from an unsatisfied customer, vowing to burn his inn down with him still in it, and the other from a former employee who felt as if he had been treated unfairly.

Neither of the two threats came to fruition, and so Mr. Aeger was not at all worried about such a curiously vague letter, which had naught a sender.
Nikolas tossed the letter in with the rest of the letters deemed not pressing, and was done with it, he thought, forever.