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Stories from the Verse
Multiverser: The Thirteenth Story
Chapter 27: Brown 373
Table of Contents
Previous chapter: Takano 165
Mister Hilton charged them a dollar fifty for a room with a double bed for the night and family buffet breakfast in the morning. “Are you really married?” he asked.
“We get asked that a lot,” Derek answered. “I don’t know that I can prove it.”
Hilton nodded. “I guess that makes sense.”
Dinner was an extra fifty cents for the two of them, but it was an excellent beef pot roast with potatoes, carrots, turnips, onions, and mushrooms cooked in the same pot. On the one hand, Derek was worried about whether they would reach Joliet and find they had spent money that would have paid for the tickets, while on the other hand he knew they had to eat, and this was good nutritious food that would give them strength for the road. They might not eat again for a couple days–although to this point it seemed that the King had been feeding them. As that occurred to him, he relaxed. If they didn’t have money for the boat, then the King had a different way to get them to their destination. Maybe they would ride a raft down the Mississippi like Huck Finn.
There were eight other patrons in the hotel at dinner, but there was ample food for everyone, including the staff which included three persons besides the Hiltons themselves. They were a young couple, and Derek was able to elicit from them that they did hope to have children and to build something here that would give them a future. Derek only said that he had a good feeling about that.
Although he felt rather miserly doing it, he decided not to pay the extra twenty cents for two baths. He thanked Missus Hilton, explaining that he hoped there would be money awaiting them in New Orleans, but they were going to have to get there to find out.
Breakfast offered eggs scrambled or over easy, on platters on a buffet, along with home fries, or maybe they were hash browns, Derek wasn’t sure of the difference, bacon, scrapple, ham, sausage, fresh biscuits, and a large wedge of cheese which Missus Hilton proudly said was from Wisconsin. They ate well and retired to their room to gather their few belongings before continuing.
As they reached the door Missus Hilton called after them and caught up, handing them a paper-wrapped package. “You kids have a long trip ahead of you, I thought I could at least give you a couple sandwiches for the road. An’ you come back someday, if you get the chance.”
Derek said he would like that, then added, “May the King of Kings bless all that you do.”
With that, they were back on the road.
As to the old stories that have long been here:
