|
Services
Louie's Place not only is a popular nightclub and refreshment
spot, but also serves as a valuable way station for aviators.
Located near several air shipping lanes, Louie's Place gets
lots of business from overseas cargo pilots and local flyers,
many of whom drop by Louie's for a quick bite to eat and some
much-needed aircraft repairs. Moreover, the island's position
"about a tankful (of gas) from Cape Suzette" makes
Louie's a crucial refueling stop for planes traveling to and
from the harbor city.
Accessible only to seaplanes and amphibious aircraft, the
main docks at Louie's feature a refueling station and repair
shed manned by a capable crew of Louie's "grease monkey"
workers. Louie undercuts many of his larger competitors by
offering better service at lower prices — as well as
the finest fuel available, as he puts it, "this side
of the other side." The main fuel tanks, connected to
a pair of gas pumps on the docks, hold enough gasoline to
fully refuel dozens of planes. Rarely are the fuel reservoirs
ever pumped completely dry, as Louie has them replenished
on a regular basis by suppliers from the mainland.
Louie's workers also perform standard maintenance checks on
aircraft, tuning and repairing engines and other components
as needed. Able to get faulty engines up and running by the
time a pilot returns from the evening's entertainment, Louie's
Place mechanics can fix most routine problems and
restore planes to normal operating condition within a matter
of hours. More extensive repairs, however, usually those involving
replacement parts, may require overnight work.
To accomodate overnight visitors, Louie also manages a cheap
inn above his nightclub. Bamboo huts, suspended within the
branches of the banyan tree overlooking Louie's Place, are
often rented out as inexpensive lodging to guests who wish
to spend the evening. Connected by a maze of rickety wooden
staircases and bridges, these ramshackle suites contain little
in the way of conveniences — simply a bed, a lamp, some
drawers, and not much else. Understandably, few boarders remain
here any longer than is absolutely necessary.
 |
|
 |
|
One of the exquisite
suites of Louie's inn.
|
|
Interior
of a room in the treetop lodge. |
In addition to his various customer services, Louie also
maintains a lost-and-found department, basically a garage
behind the club filled with assorted junk and various unclaimed
miscellany. The area remains a permanent storage ground for
worthless and discarded items, once even harboring an ancient
monoplane some old coot abandoned because the crate's engine
wouldn't hold any oil.
|
