was it that recommended us?'
'The Dark One at Heathrow customs.'
'I think we should be able to help you,' the man replied, without any sign of surprise. 'Which room would you prefer, light or dark? If you have ?er ?a dog with you, there is a very comfortable room that even the very largest dog can leave ?and come back to ?on its own... without disturbing anyone.'
'I want a light room,' I said.
'Give him the suite on the fourth floor, Andrew,' said a voice behind me. 'He is a distinguished guest. Very distinguished.'
I took the key that had appeared as if by magic in the recep tionist's hand (no, no magic involved, it was simply his dexterity) and turned round.
'I will show you the way,' said the light-haired youth standing in front of the cigarette machine beside the door that led into the small hotel restaurant. Hotels like this one very often do not have a restaurant and they serve breakfast in the rooms, but the guests here had rather exotic tastes.
'Anton,' I said, introducing myself as I examined the owner of the hotel. 'Anton Gorodetsky, Moscow Night Watch.'
'Bruce,' said the youth. 'Bruce Ramsey, Edinburgh. Owner of this establishment.'
He looked just perfect to play Dorian Grey in a film version of Oscar Wilde's novel. Young, graceful and indecently fresh and handsome, he could easily have worn a badge that said 'Ready for debauchery!'
Except only that his eyes were old. Grey and faded, with the uniformly pink whites of eyes that belong to a two-hundred-year-old vampire.
The youth picked up my suitcase - I didn't object - and started walking up the narrow wooden stairs, talking as he went:
'Unfortunately we don't have a lift. It's an old building and too narrow to lit a shaft in. And besides, 1 am not used to lifts. It seems to me that a mechanical monster would disfigure this wonderful house. I hate those reconstructed houses, old facades hiding boring standard-plan apartments. And we don't often have guests who find it hard to climb the stairs... except that werewolves don't like steep steps, but we try to accommodate them on the first floor ?there's a special room there ?or on the second... what wind has blown you into our quiet town, Higher Light One?'
He was not so ordinary himself. A vampire at the first level of Power ?not exactly magical Power, not the same as my own, it was vampire Power. But he could definitely be called a first-level Other.
'The incident in the Dungeons,' I said.
'Just as I thought. 'The youth walked on in front of me, striding easily up two steps at a time. 'A most unpleasant incident. I appreci ate the humour of the situation, of course... But it is not good. These are not times when you can simply walk up to someone you like the look of and drink him dry. Not at all!'
'Do you miss the good old days?' I couldn't resist asking.
'Sometimes,' said the youth. He laughed. 'But each age and each time has its own advantages, doesn't it? People become civilised, they stop hunting witches and believing in vampires. And we become civilised. We can't regard human beings as cattle who have no rights. People deserve the right to be respected, if only as our own ancestors. You should respect your ancestors, surely?'
Unfortunately, I couldn't find anything to argue with in all this.
'It's a good room - you'll like it,' the vampire continued as he reached the fourth-floor landing. There were only two doors there and the staircase went on up into the attic. 'On the right is the suite for Dark Ones, also very pleasant. I furnished it to my own taste and am quite proud of the design. And this is your suite.'
He did not need a key - he patted the lock gently with his hand and the door opened. A bit of petty showing-off that seemed rather strange for such an old vampire.
'We have a very good self-taught designer, a Light Other. He is only sixth level, but no magic is needed for this work,' Bruce went on. 'I asked him to decorate three rooms to the taste of Light Ones. Most of the rest of the interior is rather more original, you understand...'
I walked into the suite and froze on the spot in astonishment.
I'd never realised that my taste was like this.
Everything around me was white, beige and pink. The parquet flooring was light, bleached wood, the walls were covered with beige wallpaper with pale