The Manager of the Royal Bethlehem Hotel
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"He also chucks you under the chin, which is a little over-familar, but, well. His buttons are so very shiny. It's difficult to quarrel with a man of such shiny buttons. 'Thank you,' he says. 'I do hope you'll continue to enjoy your stay.'"[1]
"The priest-king wears white linen, and many layers of shining copper and brass jewellery. He is unmistakably the Manager of the Royal Bethlehem Hotel."[2]
The Manager of the Royal Beth, also known as the Merry Gentleman, is the Priest-King of the First City. His lover was the King with a Hundred Hearts. He is responsible for the First City's Fall, as he sacrificed it in return for the King with a Hundred Hearts' life when the latter was dying of "fits".[3] Despite the King's hatred for what he has become due to this deal, the Manager still loves him after thousands of years.[4]
As of now, he also acts as May of the Calendar Council, and gives his dark blessings to aspiring revolutionaries of renown.[5] His book in the Agendums of Ascent keeps stories of forbidden and tragic passion.[6]
He is also certainly a player of the Marvellous, and his desire is to share his lover's fate by becoming a second living city. This may be a reason why he collects diamonds, since all he needs is a diamond from the Mountain of Light to replace his heart.[7] Besides these, he has quite an appetite for mysteries and ancient lore.[8][9]
In Parabola, he keeps the Garden of Nightmares.[10]
He is described as having eight fingers[11] (though unclear if in total or on each hand) and a penchant for the dandyish side of the Fifth City's fashion, trying to blend in with his eccentric stovepipe hat, brass-buttoned frock coat and silver-capped cane.[12]
His uncle is the Capering Relicker, the man who brewed the first Hesperidean Cider.[13]
Historical and Cultural Inspirations
If the Crossroads Shaded by Cedars (the First City) is Uruk - though we don't know for sure besides that it was from Ancient Mesopotamia - then the Manager might be Gilgamesh, the King with a Hundred Hearts is Enkidu, and the Capering Relicker might be Utnapishtim. These three are key players in the Epic of Gilgamesh. Though the King with a Hundred Hearts' origin is different (in Fallen London universe, he is a traveller from China), and most of the main events of the Epic aren't mentioned in the story of the First City.
