Lorenzel, Part 2

[Graybeard]

Sister Rose smiled again, reminiscing. "I had dreams like that too, when I was a girl," she remembered. "And that despite the fact that nearly every night, almost until I was a teenager, my real-life father tucked me into bed with a kiss. In fact, he was most of those things himself, although I'm not sure that 'handsome' fit ... and he wasn't really much taller than I am today. But you still dream of what might be."

She looked out into space for a moment, then continued. "But think about this. Which of those things is the man who just learned he's your father not? And believe me, he's carried a lot of us on his calcifying shoulders lately..."

[Sareth]

Lillith didn't say anything in reply. But it was clear she was thinking about what Sister Rose had said. She had stopped sniffling, though her shoulders were still hunched. After a moment, she gave the nun a hug, still not speaking.

[Graybeard]

Sister Rose held the hug for a long time, not saying anything herself; sometimes the contact was a more powerful message than any words could be.

"You know, he's as freaked over this as you are," she finally said to Lillith. "And who wouldn't be? Actually, let me answer that myself. I'd be nervous about a man who didn't react strongly to the news that he had a child he didn't know about. But not Argus." There. I finally said it... "He's a deeply caring man. And he doesn't know what to do either ... but what is the caring thing to do, the loving thing?"

[Drannin]

"...So?" Harker said this while staring at Argus.

"So what?"

"You gonna go talk to her?"

"...I'm scared of how she'll react."

"Chicken?"

"I think she needs more time to digest this. I sure did. I don't want to pressure her."

Harker considered this. "So instead, yer gonna let Rose do all the talking, while you lie on your back and sulk."

Argus considered the merits of this proposal. "Yes. Yes, that's exactly what I'm going to do. That and figure out what to say to Lillith."

"...Any insights so far?"

"Hell no."

"Didn't think so."

[Sareth]

Lillith sat in silence, just holding the hug. Her mind was a whirl. It had been a lot to discover and take in all at once, and she felt lost, lonely, and confused.

"I don't know," she finally said. "I'll have to think about it. I guess."

[Graybeard]

Even Sister Rose's very substantial store of patience wasn't inexhaustible.

"Lillith," she sighed as she got to her feet, "you're acting like what you just learned is a bad thing. I know it's an incredible shock to you, but it is not a bad thing. Believe me, it's not. I don't know that there is any more that I can do to help you understand that. I'm going to go back to my room and pray for you ... and for Argus. If you want to talk, you know where to find me."

---------

Meanwhile, Brother Miguel, who hadn't heard either the initial exchange between Rose and Argus or the continuing one between Rose and Lillith, opened his own door and ventured a tentative peek into the hallway, empty now.

Luminosita above, he thought. What's going on in this place? Well, emotional minefield or not, people had to eat. He padded quietly down the hall and knocked softly on Argus' door.

"Hey, Argus? It sounds like our dinner plans have gone off the rails. Want to go with me and pick up some Tsuirakuan take-out for everybody? I saw a place on the way into town..."

[Drannin]

Argus' stomach rumbled. "I think that's an answer," Harker quipped at his master. Argus threw a pillow at the familiar for his trouble.

Opening the door, Argus nodded. "I think some food would be excellent right about now," he said. And about two kegs of beer. But I'm going to stay away from that, thank you very much.

[Graybeard]

"So what's going on?" Brother Miguel asked as he and Argus walked. "Rose and Lillith have been locked in earnest conversation for about an hour, Brad hasn't been out of his room since we got here, I have no idea where Sasha is, and Maduin just disappeared. Is it my breath?" he joked, but Argus either didn't hear, wasn't listening, or didn't rise to the bait. Oh, well.

The Tsuirakuan take-out place turned out to be part of a tavern, and Miguel and Argus walked over to the bar while their order was being prepared. A tall woman sat alone at the bar, nursing a purple, berry-scented drink that Miguel, not much of a drinker, didn't recognize. She was silently shaking her head, staring down into her drink, not looking at the newcomers. Her very being radiated dissatisfaction, a desire to drown her sorrows. Nobody else was in the bar.

Miguel didn't feel compelled to make conversation, but ordered a beer, offering to buy one for Argus. "It feels like I'm the only one around here who's been getting good news lately," he mused. "So like I said earlier, what's going on?"

[Drannin]

Argus sighed. "I'll take a drink, but maybe a light beer, at most. I'm trying to cut back." Miguel nodded. Argus' drinking could get out of hand. "And to answer your question... well..." Argus shifted uncomfortably. "I'm... not too sure how much I want to say... it's difficult to explain. Um..." Argus shifted uncomfortably, feeling like he should tell Miguel, but finding the situation to be a little to public for an admission of 'I have a daughter I never knew i had.'

"Lillith and I are trying to work something out... there's some tension between us... and I think Rose is acting as a sort of mediator." Argus sighed. "This is understatement, you understand. I'll tell you more, if you want, when we get back. With the understanding that it is kept under the strictest of confidence." Miguel nodded slowly, not quite understanding. Argus looked away, and happened to glance at the woman at the bar. Distantly, he noted that she was quite attractive, with bizarre taste in beverage. Never been fond of that vintage. Maybe she just wants to get drunk fast.

Argus realized that he missed his wife, badly. Cirella could have helped him through this... hell, she would have insisted on meeting Lillith. He sighed despondently.

[Sareth]

After Sister Rose left the room, Lillith sat there, her mind roiling with activity. What Sister Rose had told her made sense. But it made sense to the thinking part of her. What did her heart think?

Too much had come at her too fast. She didn't know what she thought. She knew that she didn't need to sort it all out right away. But she needed to know what to do next, what to think of things. She couldn't wait.

But the answers wouldn't come.