When the first busload of guests arrived, real excitement was felt around the hotel. All the talk was of food and which chef would win. Amid a crowd of animals, two cumbersome Highland cattle, with gigantic horns, blustered up to the front desk.
‘Welcome to Hotel Flamingo!’ said Lemmy. ‘Can I help?’
‘It’s Mrs Horntop,’ said one, who talked at speed and with urgency. ‘We’ve got two rooms booked. Here for the competition, of course, though we’re keen to try out the regional grasses, aren’t we, Norman?’
‘Aye. That’s right, Petal,’ said the other, drawing alongside, holding a guidebook in his hoof. ‘Says in here there’s at least two hundred.’
‘I suppose we must have a few,’ said Lemmy, whose knowledge of grass was not as good as it might have been. ‘I’ll just check the booking.’
‘We’re expecting to find some good tufts,’ continued Mrs Horntop. ‘It’s so underrated, isn’t it, grass?’
‘Aye, that’s right, Petal,’ said Norman.
‘Though if everyone ate it, there’d be none left for us, would there?’ said Mrs Horntop.
Lemmy smiled and continued to search for their booking as T. Bear struggled through the lobby, lost beneath towers of cases and bags. All Lemmy could see were his paws shuffling along.
‘Which rooms?’ pleaded T. Bear, wobbling under the weight of the luggage.
Lemmy thought on his feet and found two of the closest empty bedrooms on the first floor. He passed the keys to Mrs Horntop.
‘Rooms one-five-four and one-five-five,’ he said.
‘Thank you!’ said T. Bear. And he fell into the lift, narrowly missing Squeak the mouse, who was always ready to deliver guests to their rooms.
‘We’ve heard wonderful things about this hotel,’ said Mrs Horntop. ‘Excellent facilities. Wonderful service. Oh, we’re very excited –’
There was a strange little tap at the revolving door and Lemmy noticed an odd creature trying to get in.
‘Sorry to be rude,’ said Lemmy with relief, ‘but I must go and help that guest.’
‘Aye, you do that. Can’t keep a customer waiting!’ said Mrs Horntop. ‘Very friendly staff here, aren’t they, Norman? The reviews did say that, didn’t they?’
Lemmy hurried away and opened the revolving door.
‘Ah, thank you, kind sir!’ said a flamboyant coconut octopus, wearing a magnificent cavalier hat. The octopus was sitting inside a decorated coconut shell full of water, and he dragged himself inside the hotel. ‘I find these doors terrifically tricky. Perhaps if I grew some more tentacles I might manage better!’ He guffawed loudly.
‘Simon Suckerlot?’ asked Lemmy.
A slimy tentacle twisted out of the coconut shell to shake Lemmy’s paw. Lemmy obliged.
‘Sir, you have guessed my name right first time!’ quipped the octopus. ‘You must be a mind reader!’
Lemmy had guessed it correctly as it was the only octopus in the booking diary. But he decided to play along.
‘It is a skill of mine,’ he said, sneakily wiping off the slime from his paw.
‘Then I feel a game is afoot!’ declared Simon. ‘Why am I visiting your esteemed hotel, fine sir?’
Lemmy thought long and hard. ‘For the Battle of the Chefs?’ he asked.
‘You truly are a marvel,’ said Simon, laughing heartily.
Lemmy walked to the front desk.
‘Wonderful,’ said Simon. ‘And what a gorgeous hotel this is! I can’t believe I’ve not visited before.’
Lemmy handed over a room key. ‘Thank you, sir! Any bags?’
‘I’m sure you know,’ said Simon playfully.
Lemmy could see that all the octopus needed was his shell.
‘None, sir!’ said Lemmy.
The octopus tapped his forehead with a tentacle. ‘How do you do it?!’ he said with a chuckle, and dragged himself off to the lift.