15

"It was all because of Alistair," said Tulip.

"Alistair?" I said. The name sounded sort of familiar. I lowered the rifle slightly.

"That was his name," said Tulip. "At least, it was what he went by. We were friends." She relaxed a little, eyes focused on something far outside the room. "I'd have liked to be more than that, but he was interested in somebody else. Her name was Laura. She was one of the first ones, you know? From before the War. One of the lucky ones that don't get old. I got to say this for her, she was pretty for a Ghoul, too. But she just laughed at him. She used to call him a silly boy. Can you believe that?

"I still don't know what it was she said to him before she left. He never would tell me. But after she left Underworld, he slid. Slid all the way. He started spending all his caps at the Ninth Circle and then," her fingers dug unconsciously at the wooden countertop. "Then that bastard Ahzrukhal got him addicted to Jet."

"Should've known this would have something to do with Ahz," I muttered. I hung the rifle up. It was pretty clear that it wasn't me Tulip wanted to hurt. Beside me, Fawkes nodded as if he approved. Three was leaning with his back against the door now, arms folded. He frowned as he tried to follow a conversation that was probably full of words he didn't know. (Having talked to Fawkes pretty often now, I can relate. He thinks that's funny. My chair is shaking again.)

"He stopped talking to me because he knew I didn't like it," said Tulip. "Maybe if I hadn't said anything... I don't know. I tried to keep an eye on him. Sometimes I'd buy him something at Carol's, so I could make sure he ate and didn't just use the caps to buy more chems. He used to go out and collect scrap metal. Then he'd trade it to Winthrop for a stimpak. Then he'd trade the stimpak for more Jet. I didn't figure all that out until he was dead, of course."

"Scavenging is dangerous," I said. "Especially here in D.C."

"Yeah," said Tulip. "But it was the chems that killed Alistair. One time he came back with a bunch of caps – I never knew where he got them – and bought himself enough Jet to fry his brain. Winthrop found him out in the lobby. He helped me drag him out and bury him at night, so we wouldn't get shot. Even Winthrop knew I was his only friend." She shook her head, remembering.

"So this has something to do with the package?" I said, when she didn't go on. She looked back at me abruptly.

"I want Ahzrukhal dead," she said bluntly. "But I haven't got the skill. Charon would kill me before I got a shot off if I tried. Ahz has been saying that he'd sell Charon's contract to somebody with enough caps. I guess he's mad at him or something. I thought if I could get hold of something Ahz really wanted, hide it somewhere he couldn't get it by force, he might agree to trade."

"And then you'd have Charon kill Ahz," I said.

"Everybody knows he'll do whatever his contract holder says," said Tulip.

"Yeah, yeah." I waved that away, also ignoring the big flaw in her plan. I wouldn't have bet on her being able to keep that location from Ahzrukhal. Not for more than, say, ten minutes alone with Charon. "So Ahz wanted this package and it was in Girder Shade. How'd you know that?"

Tulip shrugged. "He likes to talk. Some of the junkies hear more than he thinks they do, and they'll tell you everything they know for a couple of caps. I don't know what's in it, or what he wanted it for. I just know he wanted it bad. He's been really pissed since his merc came back without it."

"You really didn't know what was in it?" I said. "I guess that explains a lot."

"Why?" Tulip looked from me to Fawkes and back. She seemed to have forgotten Three's existence. "What was it?"

"A nightie and a pair of panties," I said. "A goddamn set of lingerie." Tulip opened and closed her mouth a couple of times, like she couldn't believe it. Then I realized what else she had said. "Wait – that merc. The blond smoothskin. Is he still here?"

"Sure," said Tulip. "He bought some .44 ammo off me. He's pretty polite, for a gunnie. Why?" She looked at my face. "Oh, no. Don't go starting anything here in town, Thistle. You know better than that."

"Yeah," I said, not real loud. "Yeah, I know better." I took off my rucksack and set it on the counter. "Okay. I need some things."

"Dahlia was supposed to pay you," Tulip said nervously.

"She did. And, being as how I did not succeed in coming back with your package, I'm not going to charge you for that. I got a few caps left and I need some more stimpaks." I fingered the stock of the plasma rifle. "And a couple of MFs if you got them. And whatever you can give my friend here in trade for the Vault suit, if you've got something that will fit. It's got a couple of little holes, but it's wearable." I jerked my head at Three so that Tulip wouldn't get the idea I was expecting her to buy Fawkes's Vault 87 suit.

"You want to sell me that rifle?" she said hopefully. "I'll give you six hundred for it."

"Sorry," I said. "I like this gun."

"Sure, no harm in asking." She turned around to rummage on the shelves. "Where'd you come up with one of those, anyhow? I've only ever seen one other one."

"Really? Who had it?" I asked.

"I dunno, some smoothskin that came through a couple of years ago. I think he was an Enclave deserter. He looked like the ex-mil guys look, you know. He wouldn't sell his, either."

"Hm," I said, thinking this was a funny coincidence considering who I had gotten the rifle from. "Well, I got it in exchange for services rendered. So to speak. More than that isn't my story to tell. How much?"

Tulip looked up at Fawkes, swallowed, and quoted me a price that was slightly lower than was fair. I paid her and bundled the chems and ammo into my ruck. I showed the clothes to Three.

"Think you can wear these?" he looked at them with his head on one side. Then he nodded. "Good. Go change. The men's room is right down the concourse."

"Gary," he said, and took the clothes and went.

"Hey," Tulip said as I put the rucksack back on. "No hard feelings, huh?"

I looked at her for a second. On the one hand, I had gotten shot for no good reason. On the other hand, I had survived. She had lost somebody she loved, and Hell would freeze over before she got back at Ahzrukhal for it. She wasn't mean enough or smart enough for that.

"No hard feelings," I said. "Just tell me what I'm getting in for, next time. But I'd leave Ahz alone if I were you. He's going to get his sooner or later."

"Sooner or later," said Tulip. "Yeah."

I figured there was nothing else to say, so I didn't. Three came back in a minute with the jumpsuit folded up nice and neat. He set it on the counter in front of Tulip without a word, and we left. I stopped by a bench outside and turned to the other two. I waited for Fawkes to get himself straightened up all the way. Three was looking at me with his arms folded. His new tee shirt and denim jacket and cargo pants fit him a little loose. He'd kept his Vault boots.

"Gary?" he said, in a what the Hell was that kind of voice.

"You don't like the clothes?" I said. He waved a hand impatiently.

"Gary. Clothes are gary fine."

"Oh, you mean Tulip?" He nodded. "What should I have done?" I said. "Shot her? Naw. I'm going to want to come back here."

"It was because you felt pity for her," said Fawkes. I still couldn't read his grinding voice well, but he didn't seem disapproving.

It sounded embarrassing when he put it that way. "She's riding for a fall," I said. "Now Ahzrukhal knows she'll get him if she can, and he's a lot nastier than she is."

Three frowned as he listened to this.

"It is unfortunate," said Fawkes. "Will we do something about this?"

We? I stared in horror at the picture of Fawkes tearing up Underworld with a gatling laser. Scorch holes in the marble floor. Cerberus in pieces. Ghouls running in every direction, trying desperately to avoid the deadly little red lasers that Fawkes wouldn't even really be shooting at them - No. Never that. Not in here. And if he hurt someone by accident, I think it might kill him. Surely he knows that?

I was sure he did. If Fawkes had a personal flaw tucked away inside that green bullet skull, it was that he knew himself too well.

He's willing to do it anyway. If I ask him to. Good GOD.

"The only way to Ahz is through Charon," I said very carefully. "You could probably kill him. You and Three definitely could. Maybe even you and Three and me, if I didn't trip and shoot myself in the face. But it wouldn't be easy, and we'd probably destroy this town in the process. I feel sorry for Tulip, but not that sorry. She's a grown woman. She chose to do what she did."

"Gary," said Three, in firm agreement.

"Then what will we do now?" asked Fawkes. If he had any reaction to what I'd said, it didn't show. The set of his giant shoulders seemed a little relieved, but I might be imagining that.

"I'm tired," I said. I was starting to unwind again, and it had been a really long walk down below – I still didn't know how many hours we'd spent getting here. "And I still need to see Carol. Normally I'd sleep over there."

Three nodded. He had to be tired, too, but I'd never seen him show any sign. He was either asleep, or he showed that nervous hyper-awareness that seemed to be ordinary for him.

"Then do so," said Fawkes. "I'll wait for you both here." He probably wouldn't look forward to the prospect of spending that many hours kneeling inside what was, for him, a large box. If there was anywhere in the Capitol Wasteland that I'd be safe for one night, it was in here.

"If you see Jay, let him go," I said. "I'll catch up with him later."

"I'm sure you will," said Fawkes.

"Will you be all right?" I asked. I wasn't worried about him starting trouble on his own. He'd just proven that he would wait for me to do that for him. Until you really get him going, Fawkes isn't actually an aggressive person. I just didn't want to wake up and find he'd left because someone had been mean to him again. For all that he still scared me – Hell, sometimes he still does scare me – I was starting to like having him around.

Fawkes chuckled. A couple of Ghouls looked over at us to see what the noise was about. "Yes, I think so. Sleep well, Thistle. Three."

Three made a pfft noise.

"Thank you, Fawkes," I said, and went up the stairs with Three right beside me.