Chapter 4: The Prince of San Francisco

Caitlin was still asleep when Julian finally awakened. A warm fire roared from the bedroom fireplace, and the flames illuminated her skin and hair. For the longest time Julian remained still, tracing the curves of her face with his finger and gently moving strands of hair from her eyes. He sat up slowly so as not to wake her and pulled on his robe on.

There was a small terrace outside the bedroom and it had a beautiful view of the mountain. He heard the sound of the titanium cables whining under the strain of the lifts carrying skiers to the top. In the distance a few skiers could be seen swinging left and right, missing trees and taking death defying leaps off of the rants.

A teenage girl in a bright orange coat snowboarded on the amateur trail, which ran past the hotel. She glided down the trail gracefully at first, and hit a jump she wasn't prepared for. She lost her board and rolled to a stop. Without a second thought she climbed to her feet, brushed her self off, grabbed the snowboard and climbed back to the starting flag. Julian was impressed by her dedication.

He took a shower and got dressed in the living room. It was nice to throw off the long coats and the business suits in exchange for wool sweaters and thermal pants. Caitlin was still resting, so he jotted a note telling her he'd be at the lodge.

The lobby was busy but it still had the same warm, homelike feel that tourists came to expect from Vermont resort hotels. There was a nice warm carpet with a lovely flower pattern, a fireplace with arm chairs and a sofa along with a full continental breakfast, and the front desk was positioned next to the fire place. There was a pool room with a sauna and Jacuzzi, a dining room, and a little shop selling memorabilia and souvenirs. Julian's eyes fell upon an old friend who was speaking with a chef about the lunch and dinner for the evening. He looked up.

"Julian!"

"Richard!"

The men embraced briefly and stepped back to examine one another. Richard was a few inches shorter than Julian, with light brown hair and brownish eyes. He was dressed in much the same style of clothing that Julian wore during the night, black blazer and dress pants with black patent leather shoes.

"My God, Julian," Richard said happily. "You haven't changed a bit."

"Nor you my friend," Julian replied, grinning from the irony. "Although it seems you've exchanged the life of risk and danger for the life of business."

"Business has its risks too," Richard countered, looking out at his customers and employees. "Ever since Mary and I exchanged vows I've had to slow down a bit more than I'd like. But she's worth the patience."

"I know what you mean."

"Speaking of which, Mary tells me you've met someone new?"

Julian nodded. "Caitlin. She's the chief editor of the San Francisco Times. We've been dating for a few years now."

Richard was about to say more, when a bellhop cleared his throat.

"Yes?"

The boy apologized to Julian, before speaking to Richard. "There's something you need to look at on the second floor. It's pretty serious."

"I'll be right up, thank you." Richard sighed and turned to Julian. "I'm sorry, but I have to attend to this…"

Julian smiled sympathetically.

"Would you care to meet for drinks tonight in my personal suite?"

"I'd be happy to. See you tonight Richard."

A sidewalk ran along the parking lot, between the hotel and the ski lodge. Julian took a stroll, enjoying the brisk air off the mountain. The air was fresh and fragrant with the smell of snow and pine trees and he found himself taking a deep breath, even though it was pointless.

The lodge was even cozier than the hotel lobby, if a little more busy. There was a larger fireplace in a small dining area where people munched on fast food and sipped tea, coffee, or hot cocoa. There was a small store for renting and selling ski-equipment and winter clothes. Ski instructors stood in various places drilling the tourists on the importance of safety.

A wide set of stairs lead to a loading platform just outside the lodge, where skiers could catch one of the cabins riding up to the top of the mountains. The cabins were small and reminded Julian of the cable cars that held tours of the valleys in New Mexico. Here in the bitter cold this was a much better idea than the rickety metal seats other ski resorts used.

Kindred patrons and employees noticed Julian and gave their signs of reverence without being too formal. They treated him with as much outward respect as they would treat any other guest, but he recognized the meaning in their curt nods and responded accordingly.

Julian ordered a cup of coffee black. It wasn't his usual poison. It was possible that he was the only successful businessman in the world who didn't get by on five cup of Columbia's legal narcotic. But among the human patrons it would look odd if he simply walked around aimlessly and he didn't want to raise suspicions among them. He took his coffee to a table by the windows and watched the lifts and the skiers.

Even in the daylight his preternatural sight could spot the expert skiers near the peek. Again it was amazing to see their courage and their utter abandon as they flew down the mountain. Though many of the skiers were in deed experts their hearts were no doubt pounding louder than the sound of a thousand bombs exploding. It never ceased to amaze him how such frail creatures with such a limited lifespan were willing to risk it all for the pure thrill.

Julian was ready to do some skiing. He finished his coffee and returned to the lodge, hoping that Caitlin was also ready.