The Hotel of Inconsequences was a spacious seven story lodge-one for each deadly sin-perched on the edge of a very high cliff overlooking a deep valley below.
Paying guests arriving via sky lift were treated to a twenty-four hour, guilt-free, consequence-free, all-u-can sin buffet.
At least that was the brochure's promise...
The old man's previous stay was quite brief. In fact, he never actually entered the iniquitous building having become so nauseated from the bumpy ride up and, consequently, left with a full refund.
The long unbreakable carbon fiber pen he had slipped into his pocket, belonged to the front desk at the ticket counter at the bottom, but he was told he could keep it.
He turned to leave but felt compelled to take another ride in the sky lift.
"Why would you send me back into the den of iniquity?" the old man asked the voice.
"Art thou better than He who was found among sinners?"
The old man rolled his eyes and entered the tram mumbling,"Ok, but this could get messy."
As the lift began the ascent up the mountainside, he noticed an approaching storm and that the only other occupant in the tram was a young boy that couldn't be more than fourteen years old, looking defiantly at the shrinking town below.
"I hate to disturb you but do you mind if I ask your weight?" asked the old man.
"75 pounds, I think,"said the boy.
The old man did some quick mental math and, stepping to one side, concluded,"That would put me right about...here."
"What's it matter?"said the boy.
"I am trying to stand in the optimal position for equal weight distribution so that this thing doesn't rock back and forth so much. But if you don't mind me throwing up in this tram, I suppose you're right–it doesn't matter."
The boy's sneer turned into a look of concern."What do you mean rocking back and forth?"
"Oh yeah-last time it almost came off the hinges-a consequence of poor design, I'm sure. So what brings you up here?"
"Parents,"said the teenager.
"What kind of parents would send a kid to a place like this?"
"My parents didn't send me here-I ran away, dude."
"Let me guess,"said the old man as the tram reached mid-point,"they told you that you can make your own choices but you can't choose the consequences of your choices."
"Yeah-they don't think a place like this exists. But I found it, man–and I'm never going back."
A deafening thunder clap muted the boy's last words as a vein of lightening streaked down from the sky.
"Assuming we even make it to the top,"said the old man as the car suddenly stopped.
"Is it supposed to do this?" said the boy.
"Yes, it's completely normal..."
The boy sighed with relief.
"...when the top of the tram is hit by lightening," finished the old man.
A heavy wind began blowing across the valley that tossed the car violently like a beaten pinata.
"You see having no consequences puts us in a difficult position!"shouted the old man trying to hang on.
"What's that?!" cried the terrified kid clinging to a floor rail.
"Without consequences there is no future!"
"What're you talking about, dude?!"
"The future is only made up of two things, and one is the consequences of our choices!"
"What's the other one?!"
"The acts of God!"
The two braced themselves as another bolt hit the top of the tram and they dropped like an airplane in turbulence as sparks rained past the windows.
The old man tried to pry open the doors but they were locked tight.
Then, he saw a hatch above him that he managed to open,"C'mon-there is only one way out!"
The young man followed the old man thru the hatch onto the top of the tram which was teetering. They could see the connection was badly damaged and barely attached to the steel cable above it. One of the pulley wheels suddenly broke free and fell 'til it dissappeared into the fog below.
"It's coming off and we're going with it!"screamed the boy.
"Not if we hold onto this cable and zip-line back down to the bottom of this mountain,"said the old man.
"What in God's name are we gonna use for that?"
"A pen, of course."
The old man pulled the unbreakable carbon fiber writing utensil out of his coat pocket and placed it over the steel cable, his hands grasping the two ends,"Jump on my back, son."
The boy obeyed and just as their four feet left the roof of the tram, it separated completely from the line and disappeared into the abyss.
"Don't let go!" yelled the old man as wind and rain pelted their faces.
The boy held tight as the two zip-lined all the way down to the bottom, safely.
But just as they got on firm ground, it began to shake violently.
"Earthquake!"yelled the boy.
The two ran into an open field and watched as the cliff upon which the hotel was perched which gave way and sent the seven-story Hotel of Inconsequences plunging into the valley below.
"How did that–?" began the boy when the smoke cleared.
"Consequence of trying to eliminate all consequences, I suppose," said the old man.
"Thanks for turning me around."
"Thank God,"said the old man,"Like the steel cable, He is The Iron Rod. And remember what I said up there."
"What?"
"Don't let go."
Then the old man said,"I should like to hear about the consequences of your future choices, do you have a small piece of paper I can write my address on?"
"Consequently, I do."said the boy.
And with that the old man gave him his address and went on his way...
