Chapter 23
The celebrities were guided into the William Scope room, which turned out to be a large, airy lounge with chic full length windows and crystal chandeliers. There were several stylish cream leather sofas, a number of framed watercolour paintings and high, panelled ceiling, which we flew up to rest upon. There were yet more members of staff handing out champagne and chocolates. There were two doors off this room besides the main entrance: one on the left hand side of the room next to a large, marble fireplace, and one on the right hand wall. And in the centre of the room, to the delight of my fly's senses, there was a buffet table, containing plates and plates of elegant and delicious looking foods. Meats, salads, fruits, sweets, cake…everything a fly could wish for. It took every once of brain power to prevent the fly's mind taking over and lapping up some of those delicious smelling puddings.
--Someone might have to hold me back!-- I warned the others, only half joking. --That buffet looks to tempting to ignore!--
--Don't you dare go down there,-- scolded Sam. --There are Controllers everywhere.--
Just then, a young, fashionably dressed woman turned round from the buffet and frowned at one of the dark-suited guys.
"Did I just see you lock that door?" she asked, in a fruity American accent which I recognised from the TV.
The suit smiled professionally at her. "We've had a few concerns about the number of reporters who have managed to pass themselves off as guests in this hotel. This is just a further measure in respect of your privacy.
The woman nodded and went back to sipping her champagne and talking animatedly to another guest.
Suddenly, I noticed a movement below me. Two of the dark suited guides - Controllers, we suspected, - were heading towards the door off the left hand side of the room. I pointed out my observations to the others.
--Ok, let's follow them,-- said Sam. --Keep out of sight though,-- she said for at least the third time.
We followed the suits out into a dark and rather dingy stairwell. The taller of the two of them closed the door behind him and turned to his partner.
"We have a problem with one of the prospective hosts," he said in a low voice. "She has bought a pet along with her, and refuses to let it out of her sight."
"What sort of pet?" asked the other suit, who I noticed was female.
"A small dog. Not potentially harmless, but it will not pass through the Gleet Biofilters unharmed."
"Why should that make any difference? The woman shall be one of us sooner or later."
"The filter of the proposed entrance is in the foyer of this hotel. It is not down in the main structure like many of the other filters. If the woman is taken to the entrance we had in mind, the dog shall be destroyed in full view of the humans, and this shall arouse distress and suspicion among the other guests."
--What's a Gleet Biofilter?-- I asked. --Did Eramas ever mention it?--
--I've never heard of it until now,-- Sam answered. --But there's no question now that these people are Controllers.--
"I see," replied the woman. "Might it not be possible to use the reserve entrance for this woman?"
"That is what Erossi and I had in mind. The reserve entrance has not yet been installed with a filter. The woman will remain unsuspicious until she enters the main structure, and by that time…" He trailed off, smiling coldly.
"True, but how do you know that dog is not an Andalite Bandit in morph?" the woman asked.
"The dog has been in my sight for over two hours. If it is an Andalite, it would have been trapped in morph by now. And I doubt very much an arrogant Andalite would be prepared to be trapped in such a feeble body."
"We will need to keep an eye out for the Bandits, though," the woman continued. "This is one of our largest operations to date, and we are expecting that they shall turn up at some point."
"Visser Three has prepared for every eventuality. In my opinion, I believe this whole operation was simply a trap for the Bandits to reveal themselves at a time when we will be most prepared."
"Don't let the Visser hear you say that though. He wants the Council to think that no prior arrangement has been set up, so that when the Bandits reveal themselves, and we succeed in capturing them at last, the Visser will be praised on his spontaneity and last-second thinking."
There was a pause, and the Controllers left the corridor and headed back into the lounge. Sam buzzed out after them, and we followed.
--Well, that confirms just about everything we've been worrying about for the last few days,-- she muttered wryly. --Yeerks, a trap…--
--What's all this stuff about Andalite Bandits, though?-- I asked, trying to ignore the sudden smell of cake with which my fly brain had suddenly became infatuated. --Are there Andalites on Earth?--
--I have no idea,-- replied Sam. --Eramas certainly didn't mention anything about any Andalites being on Earth. I'm afraid I'm as much in the dark about that one as you are.--
After another half hour or so of nervous waiting around and trying to stay away from the buffet table, one of the Controllers suddenly stood up and cleared his throat for silence. A polite hush fell over the room.
"Ladies and gentlemen, I am sorry to announce that there has been a slight change to the schedule," he said, looking at a certain large woman who was patiently holding an ugly little dog in her arms. "I have had reports that one of the main elevator shafts is malfunctioning, and thus, we are forced to use the reserve shaft. This means that we shall be having to escort you down in small groups. I hope there is no problem with this?"
There was a murmur of acceptance from the guests, and so the Controller went on,
"Right then, if six of you could follow me when you have finished your beverages," he said, moving towards the door on the right hand side of the wall.
--We should follow them,-- said Sam, her voice unusually high. --One of the Controllers is shifting nervously. I think this might be where they take them to be infested.--
After a minute or so, six of the celebrities - including the Hewitt-Troys and the dog-owning woman - followed their dark-suited guide and moved towards the door, completely unaware of what lay ahead of them.