Hotel.

It's raining on the Barbary Coast. I'm on the first floor of the Hilton Alger. The view from our operations center is the blue gray sea and the textured gray cloud cover, looking out over the clay tennis courts and the kidney-shaped swimming pool. Between the courts and the sea is a line of lush but stubby foliage. Flocks of birds swoop in long ribbons over the horizon, over the huge ships that lurk in the fog in the Bay of Algiers.

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One of our coleagues here, we love him, and he is a wonderful man, and he speaks clearly and strongly, and repeats everything at least twice in different words so as to provide you with the most flawless information; that is, he will say everything again in case you did not quite understand the first time. If you need him to repeat, he will gladly do so, because one should never be without instruction; all employees should, in fact, have instructions for every part of their day, so do not hesitate to ask him, as he will gladly fill your ears with every possible combination of words in answer to your request. He will reword his instructions in order to convey the most sound interpretation of his words. He rose today and addressed the group.

"What I understand, and correct me if I am mistaken, is that we are not allowed to use any form of transportation besides a government of Algeria vehicle, a US Government vehicle, or a Hilton bus, and that all other forms of transportation are prohibited?"
Yes sir, that's right.
"So personal taxis, public busses, local taxis, they are not to be used."
Yes, sir, that's right.
"If you want to leave the area, you must use a government vehicle or a US embassy vehicle; otherwise you may not leave."
...yes, sir. That's right.

At our general, if subdued, outrage that we were not allowed outside the hotel grounds unless in a government vehicle or Hilton bus, a fearless woman asked, "So what you're saying, effectively, is that we aren't going to leave the hotel for a week?"

"Well, no, you may use Algerian government or US embassy vehicles."

"We don't have access to any of those vehicles. So what you're saying is that we aren't going to leave the hotel for a week."

As this realization sank in, the group shifted uneasily. Six straight days in this hotel? He noted the unease.

"I will consult with the US government and the Algerian government to see if there are any solutions that will both keep us securely according to US regulations and allow us to leave the hotel to see some of Algiers. I will arrange this to prevent cabin fever from setting in, because as the transportation situation is now, we will all grow very weary of each other very soon."

We nodded as a group with a general sense of incredulity. 6 days in this hotel, this hotel which doesn't even have a gift shop; from which we can see, but not get to, the beach; this hotel which offers the most expensive buffets of any Hilton, anywhere; which substitutes Fanta for Orangina and thinks you will not notice. 6 days!

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We might sneak out.