Chéri could see the strain the conversation had taken on her. The woman was pregnant, a widow and a survivor of a terrible tragedy, no wonder she was tired. Chéri followed her around, nodding to everything that was shown to him. He asked a few specific questions about the location of this or that item or how to best handle specific, mundane situations. He found himself interested in the painting, before nodding to it. “So you will give me the best room if I do a good job?” He bent his head on the side “And where will you go?”

Chéri nodded “I have always done well so far. And I think it won’t be any different here. But you will tell me.” That was all he was going to share about himself for now. He finished following Sonia in their guided tour, then asked to be excused and proceeded to unpack: he needed rest, food and a bath, to wash away bad thoughts, if nothing else.