Agatha's House

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

The door opens onto the dusty shadows of a Wasteland mid-morning. "We're a good few hours north of Megaton," Ellen reports. "If you look up, we're directly under the remains of one of the old roads. Agatha lives up ahead- see that metal mast poking up out of those rocks? That's her broadcast antenna. Her house is on the other side of that gorge, hidden among the rocks."

Comments

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

Paulson hasn't, but he does reach up to ruffle the familiar mane.

"Scorpions ain't big enough to lasso, are they?"

[not_his_pa]

"No, sir, you just have to watch for them in your boots,"

William reaches into his pocket where he usually has some sugar and hands it to Paulson,

"His name's Les."

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

"Good name," says Paulson, holding out the sugar on the palm of his hand. "Good animal. There more like him back home?"

[not_his_pa]

"Yes, sir, there are. We've got three more like him on my family's ranch along with a small herd of cattle,"

Les eagerly eats up the sugar and tries to give Paulson a head nudge that involves a lot of drool. William smiles and pulls Les away,

"Don't do that, you'll make a mess, you silly horse."

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

"Better his mess than the kind these two-headed beeves leave you with," says Paulson, shaking his head. "Don't suppose I could get just a few minutes in the saddle with him? It's been a long time since I sat a horse. Too long, for my liking."

[not_his_pa]

"Of course you could, sir,"

William unloops the reins from the post and offers them to Paulson.

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

Paulson doesn't smile, exactly, but the corners of his eyes do crinkle a bit, and there might be a little more warmth to his voice as he takes the reins. "Thanks," he says gruffly. "I won't be long."

He gets one foot in the nearer stirrup, swings the other over Les' rump, and thumps his boots against the beast's sides.

[not_his_pa]

It's close enough to a smile to do for William, his father was never known for smiling. William backs up to give Paulson time to get acquainted with Les.

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

Paulson's not going to be on the horse for long- it's bad manners. Just long enough to get across the rickety bridge and trot a respectably broad circle under the open sky.

By the time he and Les start making their way back, Ellen's slipped through the front door. "How's he doing?" she murmurs.

[not_his_pa]

"Better than I expected. I think he'll be fine when we get back."

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

"He's a pretty solid man," Ellen says, "at least, for the time I knew him. After the alien ship... well, he can handle a little strange. Just as long as he doesn't get too many details to think about, I think."

She falls silent as Les comes clattering back across the bridge.

[not_his_pa]

William nods and smiles at Paulson, "You've got a good seat, sir."

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

"Thanks," says Paulson. "I had a lot of ground to cover back in Platte County. A sheriff's got to be good in the saddle."

[not_his_pa]

"Yes, sir. I hope to be a lawman when I'm older."

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

"It's a good profession, if you've got the sstomach for it, and the nerve," says Paulson. "A quick hand don't hurt much, neither."

[not_his_pa]

"My father was killed when he got mixed up with some outlaws. I'd like to do what I can to keep other boys from havin' to see their fathers in the dust like that, sir."

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

Paulson nods. "Good man," he murmurs. "All right, then. I don't have much holding me here. My bedroll, mostly, and I need to say my goodbyes to Miss Agatha. Unless you've got something else in mind I figure heading out as soon as we can's the fastest way to get to wherever it is we're going, and it sounds like we've got a long trip ahead of us."

[not_his_pa]

"Make sure to have some of the biscuits inside, sir, and we'll be ready to go when you are,"

William looks to Ellen since it seems like they've done all they need to.

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

"Will do," Paulson promises. "I won't keep you waiting long."

"I'm ready whenever you are," Ellen says, "so...."

[not_his_pa]

"Then we'll head out and look for a space to go back. Hopefully we won't have to go too far."

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

"There's an old wreck of a shelter under that elevated road," Ellen says. "The door there ought to work for this. We might want to have Mr. Paulson keep his eyes closed or something, just in case things get weird when we head through...."

[not_his_pa]

"Yeah, best to keep things as simple as we can."

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

Ellen nods. "Which means we should probably get him back on Les when we get close," she says. "I mean, walking blind is awkward. He seems to trust the horse, too."

[not_his_pa]

"It's too bad, there's not a horse I could get him, but I don't know how to do that. I can help him get one in Bisbee, but not before."

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

Ellen nods. "The stable horses aren't really available, are they," she says. "We'll just have to make do, I guess."

The door opens a little while later and Paulson steps out. Agatha is standing in the door frame behind him, watching- there ought to be somebody to see you off, after all. "Well," Paulson says, adjusting the small bundle of possessions slung over his shoulder, "I'm ready."