After breakfast, Lemmy showed Alfonso to the Royal Suite up on the highest floor in the hotel. He rang the bell and Ms Fragranti opened the door.
‘Come on in, darling,’ she said. ‘Are you staying, Mr Lemmy?’
‘Please do,’ said Alfonso. ‘I’d like the support.’
Lemmy took a seat by the windows and gazed out over Animal Boulevard. It seemed so high up to him. He gulped, and turned back to the room, which had been cleared of furniture ready for the day.
Ms Fragranti started with some vocal exercises.
‘From the chest! La, la, la, la!’ she sang, and asked Alfonso to follow.
‘La, la, la, la!’ he tweeted.
‘And you, Mr Lemmy!’ said Ms Fragranti.
‘I’m really not a singer,’ said Lemmy.
Ms Fragranti shook her head and very long neck. ‘If you are sitting here, you are taking part,’ she said.
‘La, la, la,’ he sang, and flushed red with embarrassment.
‘Wonderful, darling,’ said Ms Fragranti. ‘Do you see? Everyone can sing. Now let us try singing and moving at the same time.’
Ms Fragranti started walking in circles about the room, and willed Lemmy and Alfonso to follow.
‘Do you hear the wind blow?’ she sang in her terrific warbling voice.
Lemmy and Alfonso repeated her line for line, and followed her about the room.
‘Do you hear the wind blow?’
‘Do you hear the wind blow?’
Ms Fragranti started flapping her wings, bouncing gently across the floor.
‘Let your wings open wide!’
‘Let your wings open wide!’
Alfonso flapped his wings, but while Lemmy thought he should point out that he didn’t have wings, he knew it was a waste of time. He flapped his arms instead.
‘Do you see the ground below?’
‘Do you see the ground below?’
Ms Fragranti was now taking longer leaps around the room, almost to the point of flying.
‘Take a leap, start to glide!’
‘Take a leap, start to glide!’
Lemmy was feeling incredibly silly, but Alfonso was definitely getting closer to flight. They circled round and round and suddenly Ms Fragranti called out, ‘FLY, LITTLE BIRD! FLY!’
Alfonso was caught up in the moment – so much so, that he almost did fly. He hovered for a few seconds but then came crashing down and rolled into a wall with a thud.
Ms Fragranti put her wings on her hips. ‘Darling,’ she said, ‘you were so close. I see lots of promise.’
Alfonso rubbed his dizzy head. ‘I see lots of stars,’ he said.
Ms Fragranti paced the room again. ‘It’s at times like this we must turn to ballet,’ she said, gracefully spinning a pirouette.
‘It’s not my thing,’ said Alfonso, ‘but if you think it’ll help?’
Lemmy decided it was time to leave.
‘I think you’d better focus on Alfonso,’ he said. ‘I’m just getting in the way here, and I have guests arriving soon.’
‘As you wish,’ said Ms Fragranti as Lemmy slipped out through the door. ‘Dear pigeon, what do you know of the pas de deux?’
‘Pas de what?’ said Alfonso.
‘A dance of two,’ said Ms Fragranti. ‘You see, I propose we work on a lift that will mimic flight and take your thoughts away from your wings.’
And for the next two hours Alfonso Fastbeak was tossed, spun and thrown through the air like a white swan in a whirlwind.