Wonderful

It was late when Gaius and Sweezus arrived at their cabin.

Brrr! It's cold, said Sweezus. Let's turn on the heating.

It's not that bad, said Gaius. Just put on more clothes.

I haven't brought any more clothes, said Sweezus. Look here, Gaius, we're paying for this cabin. We're entitled to some heat.

Alright, said Gaius, reaching up to turn the heating on.

A grinding noise came out of the heater, but no heat.

Damn! said Sweezus. It's broken. I wish we were still in the Camus's apartment. Pity they didn't ask us to sleep over.

They did, said Gaius, but I declined the offer while you were being a penguin.

You really don't like luxury, do you, Gaius? said Sweezus.

I don't, said Gaius. I'm a military man.

I'll have that extra blanket then, said Sweezus.

.......

At six o'clock next morning Sweezus's phone rang. It was Francine.

Come over here for breakfast, said Francine.

We'll be there in ten minutes, said Sweezus. Thanks Francine.

Wake up Gaius! Francine's invited us to breakfast!

Whaaat? said Gaius grumpily. But I've only had a couple of hours sleep! It's been so cold!

Well, I'm going, said Sweezus. See you later!

And Sweezus rode his bicycle back up the hill to McCracken.

.......

Gaius woke up two hours later wondering where he was. Then he remembered. He'd had a freezing cold night, barely slept, and missed a free breakfast. He got up, and went over to reception to hand in the cabin key.

Was everything okay? asked the park manager.

Wonderful, said Gaius.

Camus/Camoo

The following day, Gaius and Sweezus cycled down to Victor Harbor.

Tell me what you know about Camus, said Gaius. It may help us to find him.

Yeah, said Sweezus. It might. Umm, well, I only met him a couple of times, in the office with the girls. He seemed kind of.... you know....

No I don't know, said Gaius. That isn't very helpful. Would you say he was the sort of person who would stay in a cabin?

He came from a poor family in Algeria, said Sweezus. But rose to become an influential philosopher and intellectual giant.

Then obviously, said Gaius, he wouldn't choose to slum it in a cabin. I say we go and look for him at McCracken.

McCracken? said Sweezus. The resort? Oh okay, if you say so. I always wanted to see what it was like.

They arrived at McCracken late in the afternoon, and enquired at reception if Camus was staying there.

We don't give out that sort of information, said the receptionist.

Fortunately at that moment Camus walked by on his way to the swimming pool.

Camoo! shouted Sweezus. You're here!

That depends, said Camus, on what you mean by here.

See, said Sweezus, I told you he was smart.

Indeed, said Gaius. Hello Mr Camoo.

Please, said Camus. Call me Camus.

I thought I was, said Gaius. Does it not sound the same?

Not to me, said Camus, I am sensitive to such things. And who are you?

Gaius Plinius Secundus, said Gaius. Also known as Pliny the Elder, at your service. We have been sent to find you.

I am not missing, said Camus, but welcome, anyway.

Uneventful Walks - 2

We drove to the Largs Pier Hotel, and stopped in the carpark round the back. Here begins the second uneventful walk.

We walked to the back entrance of the hotel and went in. Passing the toilets on the right, and a door leading to the gaming rooms, we stopped at the reception desk to check in. From here we could see out through the front door to the road, the Norfolk Island pines, the jetty and the sea.

Now we had our room key, and some directions. We walked out through the front door, along the verandah, past groups of people drinking coffee in the sun. Re-entering the hotel through the main entrance we climbed the grand wide staircase up to the first landing where the staircase split into two and turned back on itself. Now taking the left staircase we reached the first floor, crossed the wide landing and, facing the back of the building, turned right and followed the passage round a corner to the end.

We entered our room, walked down some unexpected steps and over to the window where there was a sea view of sorts. You just had to look over the rooftop and the airconditioning ducts, to see two pine trees and the sea.

Now, having established the location of our room, we walked back up the steps, out of the door, and turned right, towards the emergency exit. We went down the emergency exit stairs, through a door at the bottom into a space behind the gaming room and kitchen and through another door into the carpark. Then, carrying our suitcases, we were obliged to walk right around the outside of the hotel past the bottle shop on Jetty Road, past the verandah outside the front bar, to the front entrance. This was because we couldn't use the emergency exit to get back in as the doors had automatically locked behind us.

We carried our suitcases up the grand wide staircase, following the route we had taken previously. Here an incident occurred, so that the walk was not entirely uneventful. Three ladies emerged from the front bar and staggered up the right hand staircase to the upper landing. All three of them were giggling and one had to be supported. Please excuse my friends, said one of the ladies, as they collapsed and giggled all the way to the second floor.

Ignoring the ladies we continued up the left hand staircase, followed the passage to our room and entered, shutting the door behind us. Here ends the second uneventful walk.