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The dusty, gritty pavement crunched under their feet as Ellen and her companions picked their way over yet another pile of tumbledown concrete. How the scouts who found this place had managed to get in and out without turning their ankles on the stuff, she didn't know. Their every move kicked up concrete dust, leaving her grateful for the filtration units in her helmet.
"Paladin Rand?" she suddenly said; a question had been nagging at her for some time now.
"What is it, 101?" asked the armored woman, her voice muffled by her helmet. Inwardly, Ellen winced. One of the Initiates had called her that in front of Gunny on her first day of readiness training. Before the week was out the only people in the Citadel who seemed to remember that she had an actual name were Elder Lyons, Star Paladin Cross, and Fawkes.
She told herself it didn't matter, and fell back to her question: "Is Paladin Gunny normally a liar?"
A faint hnnf of suppressed laughter from Fawkes was the only sound that penetrated the abrupt silence. Even Dogmeat went quiet. Ellen held her breath. The Paladin's posture was impossible to read.
Eventually, though, Rand shifted her laser rifle to one hand, the better to make a noncommittal gesture in midair with the other. "Sometimes," she said. "Sometimes. I've yet to see him speak false to any Paladin or Scribe, or even any Knight or Initiate not answerable to him. But to those he plans to put to the test? That's another matter altogether."
"So he lied about the final readiness test on purpose," Ellen muttered. "Great."
"I… would not be so sure it was outright lies, 101," Rand said. "I know him well enough to suspect he misled. He prefers those he tests to be ready for anything, not some canned scenario they've played over in their minds a hundred times."
Ellen thought of Voodoo's kill house. If that was 'some canned scenario', she'd eat Dogmeat's collar. "I'm surprised there was anyone available at all for this mission," she said, as mildly as she could manage. "He gave me the impression everyone was tied up fighting the Enclave, or on permanent Citadel garrison duty."
"Well, there is such a thing as rotation of duties," said Rand. "Being confined to the Citadel produces boredom and carelessness. We can't afford that in these times. And when a field scout reports that the muties've occupied the remains of the National Cathedral- no offense, friend-"
"None taken," answered Fawkes.
"When a scout returns such a report, especially about a building we haven't been able to reach in years, it merits closer investigation. After all, if they can uncover routes to long-lost buildings, so can the Enclave."
"And sending just the four of us was-"
"A reasonable tactical decision, given the current circumstances and your own reputations." Ellen got the impression that behind her helmet, Rand was smiling. "I doubt very much whether anything less would be truly satisfactory. If nothing else, you'll have earned your place and then some for certain."
Ellen wasn't feeling particularly charitable at that point, but she nodded anyway. The massive shattered outer wall of the Cathedral lay just ahead, and things were moving in the darkness beyond.
"Paladin Rand?" she suddenly said; a question had been nagging at her for some time now.
"What is it, 101?" asked the armored woman, her voice muffled by her helmet. Inwardly, Ellen winced. One of the Initiates had called her that in front of Gunny on her first day of readiness training. Before the week was out the only people in the Citadel who seemed to remember that she had an actual name were Elder Lyons, Star Paladin Cross, and Fawkes.
She told herself it didn't matter, and fell back to her question: "Is Paladin Gunny normally a liar?"
A faint hnnf of suppressed laughter from Fawkes was the only sound that penetrated the abrupt silence. Even Dogmeat went quiet. Ellen held her breath. The Paladin's posture was impossible to read.
Eventually, though, Rand shifted her laser rifle to one hand, the better to make a noncommittal gesture in midair with the other. "Sometimes," she said. "Sometimes. I've yet to see him speak false to any Paladin or Scribe, or even any Knight or Initiate not answerable to him. But to those he plans to put to the test? That's another matter altogether."
"So he lied about the final readiness test on purpose," Ellen muttered. "Great."
"I… would not be so sure it was outright lies, 101," Rand said. "I know him well enough to suspect he misled. He prefers those he tests to be ready for anything, not some canned scenario they've played over in their minds a hundred times."
Ellen thought of Voodoo's kill house. If that was 'some canned scenario', she'd eat Dogmeat's collar. "I'm surprised there was anyone available at all for this mission," she said, as mildly as she could manage. "He gave me the impression everyone was tied up fighting the Enclave, or on permanent Citadel garrison duty."
"Well, there is such a thing as rotation of duties," said Rand. "Being confined to the Citadel produces boredom and carelessness. We can't afford that in these times. And when a field scout reports that the muties've occupied the remains of the National Cathedral- no offense, friend-"
"None taken," answered Fawkes.
"When a scout returns such a report, especially about a building we haven't been able to reach in years, it merits closer investigation. After all, if they can uncover routes to long-lost buildings, so can the Enclave."
"And sending just the four of us was-"
"A reasonable tactical decision, given the current circumstances and your own reputations." Ellen got the impression that behind her helmet, Rand was smiling. "I doubt very much whether anything less would be truly satisfactory. If nothing else, you'll have earned your place and then some for certain."
Ellen wasn't feeling particularly charitable at that point, but she nodded anyway. The massive shattered outer wall of the Cathedral lay just ahead, and things were moving in the darkness beyond.