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She hands us our brochures with the menu for this evening before she excuses herself.
I leaf through the pretty pictures. “Look at all these activities. Is this just for the weekend? Man, there’s not enough time to do all this for just a few days. Especially with the art festival.”
“Well, I think that’s the point. Reel you in with an arts festival. Get you back for some other thing.” Jonah opens the French doors to the balcony. “Of course, if this is just for the weekend. I know where I want to start.”
At his suggestive tone, I go over to Jonah’s side to see what he’s looking at. “What are you—oh!”
The next valley over, just over the ridge with the spectacular backdrop of mountains behind them, was the pack of burly wolf men being all...outdoorsy.
“What is going on over there? Construction?” I ask in a daze. I have never seen so much manliness gathered together before. They work together to raise a side of a log cabin.
“That Vane fellow said that they were getting things set up. Maybe I should go over there and give them a hand.”
“You don’t know the first thing about carpentry.”
Jonah balks, hand to his chest in peak dramatic shock. “I said I’d give them a hand. I said nothing about manual labor. At least not that kind.” He gives me a suggestive wink over his sunglasses.
I slap my face with my palm. “Dear lord, I cannot with you. Is it the mountain air that’s made you silly or what?”
“I do declare it’s coming face to face with the beasts themselves. Don’t tell me you didn’t feel it?”
The wolf men were startling and admittedly overwhelming. And they were fascinating in a new way. But they aren’t my type. “I know you felt something. Clearly. But honestly, no. They seem nice, though.”
“Well, I for one would love to have a second ‘how-do-you-do?’ with them.”
The thought of even trying to be social after a long travel day made me feel every bit as limp and wrinkly as my linen trousers. “I don’t know where you get your energy. I was looking forward to an early night in.”
“You’ll feel different after dinner and another cup of coffee. Let’s freshen up and see what they have for dinner around here.”
Dinner, as it turns out, is a three-course meal that deserves all the Michelin stars in the world.
Instead of a buffet or servers, automated trolleys deliver our food and drinks. “This is amazing. I thought the portals messed up technology or Wi-Fi or something.”
“I think it’s just human technology. They must have some kind of magical tech from the other side of the Rift that’s not affected.”
“That makes sense. They would need to have tech that’s not wonky all the time.”
Val comes in and checks up on us. I ask her about it, and she basically confirms my thoughts. “What do you think of dinner?”
“That I want to declare my undying love to the chef. Will he or she be open to spontaneous marriage proposals?”
Val breaks into a smile. “I’m so pleased you love everything. As much as I want you to be able to share the love with a chef, I have to share a little secret.” That look on her face is just a little pained. Her smile, a bit worn along the edges.
Jonah and I share a gaze before going before looking back at Val. “What is it?“
Val fiddles with her cuffs.“I think it’s best that you see for yourselves. And besides, I think this will help me figure out how I might introduce this phenomenon to guests. As long as you don’t mind being my first test subject.”
“Who doesn’t enjoy being a test subject,” Jonah deadpans. “I, for one, am very intrigued.”
I link arms with Jonah and follow Val past the side door and into the kitchen. We stop dead in our tracks.
Where there is supposed to be a kitchen crew, it is completely empty of any living being. Instead, all the pots and pans and various utensils seem to operate on their own power.
Even the teapots and coffee carafes and plates of desserts float themselves onto the trolley. The after dinner treats I just requested.
Val turns to us and gestures with her arms as if she were a magician’s assistant. “Ta-da! Meet our chef.”
Jonah leans over to me and says in the stage whisper, “Please tell me you see nothing there as well.”
