The Hotel at the End of Time

Chapter 20 - Vain hates Trick, like, so much.

"Is this Vanity? Wonderful. How are you? You found Roman. That's super." Vain put the phone on speaker and Trick's voice came out. Her blood turned to ice. She thudded on to the couch.

"Trick." She tried to work moisture into her mouth.

"You sound congested," said Roman. "How's your nose?"

"Don't worry about my nose, Roman. You got lucky. Although I have to give you credit for that escape. I won't make the mistake of underestimating you again."

"You will, Trick, because you're an idiot," Vain said.

"Oh, stop. We're all friends here, having a casual chat. There's nothing to get angry over."

She was flustered. Trick had been the source of so many horrible memories from the Hotel; always smirking at a private joke, always playing pranks on people. Horrible, awful pranks. One of his hands would distract you while the other pulled the quarter from your ear; except, it wasn't a quarter, it was a knife. And he didn't pull it from your ear, he stabbed it in your back. You never saw it coming and it always hurt.

"Is she with you? The redhead who killed the Wyatt by throwing him halfway to the Atlantic Ocean? We'd like to have a word with her."

Before Emma could do something stupid like speak, Vain piped up. "I left her behind after I took care of your idiot Wyatts outside of Boston. It's only Roman and me."

"Well," said Trick. "I somehow doubt that, given we've been following you at a distance for quite some time. The Wyatts watched you get in the SUV with her, and every compass in North America is pointing right at you. That girl gives off more power than a nuclear reactor. I assume you're with the others? The twins and the Conduit? I'm sorry, I don't remember their names."

Vain wasn't sure what to say. Hush and Charm glared at her. Blunt looked confused, which wasn't unusual for Blunt.

"I'm going to guess from the pregnant silence that you're not sure how to answer," Trick said. "That's okay. Let me catch you up. Number one, thanks for getting everyone in one place. It's remarkably convenient and makes this so much easier. Number two, I want the Padlock back. That's all I've ever wanted."

"Bullshit," Vain said.

"Vain, let me give you a brief lesson. Do you know what a provision for a loan loss is?"

"I do." Roman blinked in surprise.

"Oh right," said Trick. "That makes sense. Roman, why don't you tell us?"

Roman looked around the room. "It's an accounting term. A loan loss provision is an income statement expense set aside as an allowance for uncollected loans and loan payments. It covers bankruptcy and stuff." Roman seemed confused. "Did I used to be an accountant?"

Trick ignored him. "Thanks, Roman. You got it. Here's my follow-up: why do companies use this? Why do they accept the loss instead of going after the delinquent loan?"

"Because it's cheaper to write the loan off," Roman said. "It costs more money to recover the funds than it does to drop it."

"Exactly," Trick said. "You, my stupid, frustrating friends, are the loan. It is easier and cheaper to write you off. There are hundreds of you in the Hotel. Do you think Arthur cares he lost a couple? We only want the Padlock back."

"If we give you the Padlock, you'll leave us alone?" Hush said.

"Is that one of the twins? Yes, I'll leave you alone. In fact, I'll do one better. You give me the Padlock, and I'll reverse the activation. No more Utility and Conduit active connection thing. You'll all be normal, ordinary people, free to live your lives. It's good for both of us. I don't love the thought of literal superheroes walking around and you get left alone. What could be fairer than that?"