[Illustration 14]· Final Image | A yellowed and badly damaged sheet of hotel stationery lies upon an old walnut desk, its letterhead bearing a red crescent moon and the hotel’s name. A dried water stain cuts across the third rule, leaving the words “ANSWER” and “DO NOT” faintly visible at opposite ends of the page. Several unexplained black finger marks remain near the lower-left corner, while a tiny line of dark red handwriting has appeared at the lower right. In the shadows beyond, an antique telephone sits slightly out of focus—it is impossible to tell whether the receiver has been properly returned to its cradle.42Please respect copyright.PENANAR9MZnLe8am
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RED MOON HOTEL ⚜ (Hôtel de la Lune Rouge)
HOUSE RULES42Please respect copyright.PENANA0EPHHpNmiw
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1. This hotel was established on 23 August 1926. We hope you enjoy your stay.42Please respect copyright.PENANA1fvMGlceBT
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2. Please do not linger in the corridors at night.42Please respect copyright.PENANARiPQtaXzwE
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3. If the telephone in your room rings, you must—42Please respect copyright.PENANAmqVHAcWmel
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The water stain had already dried.42Please respect copyright.PENANADhKMQlNmMq
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As it faded, fragments of the sentence it had washed away slowly resurfaced.42Please respect copyright.PENANACi54v76nqD
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Only two faint traces of ink remained, separated by a wide stretch of empty paper:42Please respect copyright.PENANApskVg9QCb9
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……ANSWER……42Please respect copyright.PENANA1dpAHue1cA
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……DO NOT……42Please respect copyright.PENANAqy8JTj7zsh
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In the lower-right corner of the page, a tiny line of dark red handwriting had appeared—one that had not been there before:42Please respect copyright.PENANAkvHUgGzbt4
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Please complete it for the next guest.42Please respect copyright.PENANAC7ylIVIyzM
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There was no signature.42Please respect copyright.PENANA88QPdAVoBO
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(The End)
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