Salticiel and beyond

[Sareth]

"How does the drug get administered?" Lillith asked. She was clearly still wary, but she was listening.

[Drusia]

"How does the drug get administered?" Lillith asked. She was clearly still wary, but she was listening.

"Injection is the safest way," I tell her. "It can also be administered by injury or ingestion," I add, "But requires a higher dose, and isn't nearly as precise. I don't use those methods if I can help it."

I reach down and dig a vial out of my bag. "This is the stuff. To get the proper dosage, I need to know your weight."

I glance up at Argus. "Um. If you'd feel more comfortable, I could ask Argus to wait outside while you tell me. After all, it isn't polite to talk about a woman's weight while men are about." I wink at Lillith. Maybe a little humor will lighten the mood.

-- Drusia

[Graybeard]

Sister Rose and Brad headed for the Orthodox temple, one feeling better about the way things were going than she had in some time, and the other ... not.

"Rose, I'm nervous about all this," Brad fretted. "So many strange things are happening, and I don't know whether to trust those people or not. I just feel like I should be back there, trying to help protect her."

Rose refrained from pointing out how much trouble Brad's "help" had already caused, and took his protest at face value. "I understand, but remember that she's in the hands of three powerful magic users, one of whom has a deeply ingrained drive to take care of healthy half elves, which Lillith surely is, and another of whom is her father. This is probably the safest she's been since she left home. She'll be better off for this." As long as you don't screw things up, she added mentally.

The Orthodox temple hadn't looked noteworthy in the dim light of dawn, when Rose was there earlier, and it looked no more notable now. A novice met them at the open front door, and after an exchange of benedictions, bustled off to retrieve Father Thaddeus. A few minutes later, the small, gray man came to the entry way, looking just as world-weary as he had at Lauds. "Can I help you?" he asked.

Rose noted the grammar error, found it ironic. I wish I knew... but you can try. "Greetings in the name of Our Lord Luminosita," she smiled. "I am Sister Rose of our holy Church's mission to the faithless in Kiyoka." If Thaddeus was impressed by this reference to a mission, let alone the fact that one of his close colleagues of twenty-five years earlier had been at that same mission, he didn't show it. Rose continued, "This is my colleague, Brother Bradford. We'd like to impose on you for a few minutes of your time, to help resolve a matter of concern to our mission."

If the old priest was surprised to see a nun rather than a priest (even if a rather callow one) doing the talking, he didn't show that either; he just looked altogether too beaten-down to be demonstrative. "By all means, come in," he said. "I'll be glad to help. And maybe, while you're here, you can help shed some light on the fanciful hallucinations that some of my own parishioners are reporting." The door closed behind them, and the three stepped into the main hall, en route to the priest's quarters.

[Sareth]

Lillith's lip quivered as she looked at the vial. She glanced over at Argus as Drusia mentioned having the man leave, and she found herself contemplating him for a moment before shaking her head. "No. I... want him to stay." Serious eyes locked onto Drusia, and Lillith spoke again, her voice cold. "You won't administer it to me. I... I won't let you. Rose will." She trembled. "Rose will administer a dose to both of us, and she won't tell you which one she's giving you. We take the same amount, you tonight, me tomorrow." She glanced over to Argus nervously, then back to Drusia. "Or I won't do this at all."

[Drusia]

"You won't administer it to me. I... I won't let you. Rose will." She trembled. "Rose will administer a dose to both of us, and she won't tell you which one she's giving you. We take the same amount, you tonight, me tomorrow." She glanced over to Argus nervously, then back to Drusia. "Or I won't do this at all."

"How very paranoid of you," I reply. "Unfortnately, my answer is no. If we had a week to fuck around, maybe, but we don't. We - Rose, Argus, and I - planned to do this today. I'm not sure if you've noticed, but it's not even lunch time yet. We need to be out of here by tonight, with rumors of your death all over town."

"Besides, your request is impractical for two reasons purely medical reasons," I add. "First, you weigh less than I do, so a dose that would be safe for me might not be safe for you, rendering your test pointless. Secondly, this stuff puts you out for days. After you go down, I'll need to be awake and active. And before you ask, the reason is because I expect the other ranger to check and make sure you're really dead, and I plan to head her off. That's also why we need Maudin - once you're in the coffin, he'll make sure you look approprately corpse-like, and not just like you're taking a nap, which after the first day will be about accurate."

"If you'd like Rose or Argus to physically inject you, that's fine, it makes no difference to me. But one way or another, it's going to have to be me who fills the needle."

I cross my arms and face her cold look with almost parental grimness. "No more games. If you want my help, you have it. I will risk my life to protect you, and to bring you safely to Snamish. If you don't want my help, then I walk away."

I let my glare soften slightly. "I'd like to be your friend, Lillith. But I won't stay where I'm not wanted." I don't glance at Argus, but I can't help the loaded double meaning there. It seems neither father nor daughter likes me very much.

"Choose. Now."

-- Drusia

[Graybeard]

Sister Rose felt her ears tingling as she entered the priest's chambers. Well, that wasn't too surprising. Whatever planning was going on back at the inn was almost certain to involve her, probably in some way she couldn't predict. She'd worry about that later. For the moment, she contented herself with listening as Father Thaddeus prepared tea, describing his visit from two -- excited -- parishioners as he worked.

"That's very interesting," she said when he had finished. "I think there may be a more benign explanation than a personal apparition by Our Lord Luminosita, though. From your description, it sounds like these people may have been at the inn where Brother Bradford and I were staying, and interrupted us in our meditations." That was even close to correct; they'd definitely been "meditating" on what to do about Lillith, after all. "I have sometimes found contemplation of Luminosita's Visage helpful in times of trial." At Centoriel, for example. "It's nice to know that it had such a profound effect on your congregation." And that they forgot the other things that had just happened, precisely as we wanted them to.

"I suppose," Thaddeus said, doubt in his voice. "You're more generous than I am. I was ready to simply dismiss their story as a matter of two simpletons over-excited by the mumbo-jumbo coming out of Emerylon. In any event, I suppose their enthusiasm is of benefit to the church -- I guess."

Rose winced inwardly as she nodded. She'd seen enough in the Heretic Knowledge Vault to have developed a certain disdain for the "mumbo-jumbo" herself. But confound it all, if you couldn't look beyond the mumbo-jumbo to the truths of Luminosita that had nothing to do with either magical pyrotechnics or contrafactual creation myths, then what business did you have being a priest? This man has been stuck in a rut for much too long.

She cleared her throat. "We don't want to take too much of your time," she said. "As I said, we're engaged in some fact finding pertaining to a man of our mission who, we understand, once served Luminosita in this town, when you and he were younger than Brad and I are. You would have known him as Brother Egbert. Does that name ring a bell?"

It did. Thaddeus paused in mid-sip and set down his tea cup, stared off into space for a long moment. "Ah, Egbert," he breathed. "Now that is an interesting subject..."

[Graybeard]

[OOC: I hope nobody minds a little more backstory development while we wait for Argus or Maduin to talk some sense into Lillith. Sorry for the twofer, but may as well get Rose's and Brad's business transacted...]

"Interesting? How so?" Sister Rose asked, trying to conceal her excitement. You're damn right he's interesting, and suddenly, so are you.

The older priest stared off into space for a moment, as if seeing a scene from his past, as in fact he was. "Oh, it's just that we were very good friends a long, long time ago, and I haven't heard from him for many years. I wonder how he's doing?"

I should have anticipated that question and formed a plan, but I didn't, Rose scolded herself mentally. Guess I'll just have to wing it ... and as usual, start with the truth, or at least part of it. "I'm sorry to report that Father Egbert, as he came to be known, is no longer with us." It would be customary to say "gathered unto Our Lord Luminosita" rather than "no longer with us," but from what we've seen I'm not sure he has been gathered to Luminosita. Let's see if this man notices the difference. "He died in a little town up north, not long ago. We've been on the road, trying to inform people who knew him, and to learn a bit more about his past, so that we can develop an adequate memorial." Or ward off his evil spirit, if applicable; that seems as likely under the circumstances.

A sad look crossed Father Thaddeus' face, but it didn't linger, being replaced by the grayness that Rose thought had probably been there for decades. "I'm sorry to hear that, even though I obviously no longer know him well. Did he survive his wife? He was a Millenarian, you know, and unlike those of us in the Orthodox Church, they're allowed to marry."

"Sadly, no," Rose answered, with a sidelong glance at Brad. "She seems to have died young. Did you know her?"

Thaddeus shook his head. "Never met the woman. For that matter, I don't know for sure that they ever got married. When we were both tending our respective churches, he'd go off every now and then and visit the town where he grew up, somewhere west of Lorenzel I think, where his girlfriend was, but she never joined him here."

That fits, thought Rose. "Maybe he didn't marry her after all. He never talked about a wife while he was at our mission in Kiyoka, always talked about being married to the church instead, just as though he was Orthodox." She didn't mention Elric, and also didn't stop to reconcile this speculation with what she'd carelessly said about Egbert's wife having "died young." In any event, the man didn't seem to notice.

"No, I think he did get married," the older man said. "At least he talked to the visiting bishop about performing the ceremony, I remember that. Father Blaise, the man was. He was quite famous in his time, but he too has been gathered unto Our Lord Luminosita by now, I'm sure."

No, he hasn't, thought Rose, and suddenly I'm developing a very strong desire to talk to this Blaise... before anything else fatally bad happens to someone he's touched.

[OOC: And on that mysterious note , back over to events at the inn...]

[Drannin]

Argus shifted uncomfortably, wanting to say something, but not quite daring. Like it or not, this was a decision he didn't really have any say in, Lillith had to decide for herself, come to trust Drusia on her own, and Argus had no business adding his own two cents to this discussion. But Lillith's expression betrayed a lot of her thought processes. Fear was predominant. Mistrust as well. Suspicion, and... well, it was quite clear that Lillith wasn't quite sold on quite literally playing dead.

And Drusia's hidden meaning wasn't lost on him either. Oh well. So much for tact. He'd never been good at it anyway.

The sound of Argus clearing his throat was like a thunderclap, causing both Drusia and Lillith to startle slightly. "If I may say..." They both looked at him. "Lillith, we are very short on options. I have no right to call myself 'Father' to you. Nonetheless, your safety is of great importance to me. I wouldn't be behind this plan if I didn't trust it... or its author. And I personally guarantee that I will do everything that I can to ensure your safety. I'm sure I speak for Maduin and Rose on this as well."

He hesitated, then continued. "I trust Drusia, Lillith. I hope you can, too."

[Sareth]

Lillith looked down at her lap, her hands cupped there in them. Silence reigned in the room for several moments as the girl sat motionless. Finally, she shifted, looking over to Argus. "I'm scared fa... father."

Argus' eyes widened. However, he didn't get a chance to say anything before Lillith turned to Drusia, speaking with a colder voice. "We've been hunted for a much longer time than I have lived. Elves are our nightmares. We hush rowdy children at night with your names. We tell stories about you during stormy nights. We have nightmares about you. You are our greatest fear, the devils in the dark, the judgement for a sin we did not commit." Lillith's eyes dropped. "And you ask for me to trust you based off nothing but your assurance that you birthed the line of Rose' husband." She shook her head. "No... You are demanding it. Now."

Drusia began to voice some sort objection, but Lillith cut her off. "You are immortal. Undying. So know this. If you are lying, and this kills me, I will not leave this world. I will stay here, a spirit, and make your every immortal day a living hell even if you live another ten thousand years."

[Graybeard]

"Well, that was interesting, precisely because it was so boring," Sister Rose said as she and Brad left the temple.

"It surely won't come as a surprise to you that I don't understand that at all," her cousin smiled weakly.

Rose smiled back. "I didn't expect you to. The superior female mind at work." She poked him in the ribs, bringing back any number of childhood memories for both. "What I meant was that apart from what he said about Egbert's maybe-marriage --" and the part about Father Blaise, which we will most definitely return to, but not now -- "there wasn't the slightest bit remarkable about what he had to say. Thaddeus says Egbert was a very pedestrian Millenarian priest while he was here. Even his stories of their friendship were routine stuff. I don't think he even knew that Egbert had joined the military, let alone anything that came after that."

"I understand," Brad said, "but why is that interesting?"

"Two reasons," Rose replied. "First, remember his initial reaction, that Egbert was an 'interesting subject.' Then he went on to make sure there was nothing interesting about the subject at all. I think he's hiding something, probably something dating back to their years together here."

"And the other?"

Rose didn't answer directly, but pointed to the run-down Millenarian temple as they walked by. "If Egbert had been that pedestrian a Millenarian priest, that temple shouldn't be in such bad shape now. Someone would have come along after him and made sure it was up to the usual Millenarian standards. I'm not sure of the implications, but we might want to understand that place a little better. First things first, though. Let's see how Lillith's act is coming along." Brad's face brightened, and he picked up his pace, forcing his cousin to hurry her own steps.