Wisdom
A gaggle of dirty Mojave children stood assembled shoulder to shoulder in the alley between the Prospector Saloon and Chet's store. On the main street just ahead of them Goodsprings had come alive. A band played, banjos and guitars twanging. The bighorner ranchers had drawn straws, loser sacrificing one of their herd to the barbecue. The drink was flowing and the laughs were easy.
All of this was just out of sight of the children as they were doing their best to stay hidden. That was the sort of deal being made here. The one parents would frown upon.
"Now then, to be clear, any of you who throw to the left, gets five caps," Knox said, pointing off to the farside of town.
"And to be even more clear, he doesn't live here so it don't matter how many caps you get, you still have to deal with me," Sunny added, narrowing her eyes at Knox. She looked at the kids. "Got it?" Behind her Knox was holding up five fingers.
"I think they've got it, Sunny. Now then, reprobates. Come. Get your ammunition." Knox hefted a crate from the workbench alongside Chet's shop and set it on the ground. Once it had been full of dynamite. Now it was something more fun.
"For you, for you, two for you, you look like you've got an arm, here you are," Knox said to each child as they approached hands out before scattering off behind the stores.
"Why'd I let you talk me into this?" Sunny asked as the children disappeared.
"Relax. What could go wrong?"
"We just gave explosives to children."
"It'll be fine. We'll be getting it back in just a moment."
Sunny rolled her eyes and grabbed her rifle from where she'd lain it against the wall. Knox collected his as well, grinning wildly at her. They stepped out into the thoroughfare, Knox to the left and Sunny to the right. Knox put his fingers to his lips and whistled sharply, cutting through the warm night air above the conversation and music.
"Ladies, gentlemen, and everyone in between, thanks to the kind donation of Easy Pete, we have a show for you tonight," Knox yelled to the crowd. At a battered card table, Pete's bushy eyebrows shot up in surprise. Knox winked in his direction. "Everyone knows where you hide your dynamite, Pete." A smattering of laughter passed through the crowd. Knox continued.
"Anyways. Thanks to Pete's 'donation', some very fine sciencing done by myself and Ms. Smiles, and the aid of some of you fine folks' miscreant spawn, we've got some entertainment." Knox looked towards the roofs of the saloon and shop where child sized silhouettes had gathered.
"PULL!"
The kids began to throw their modified charges up into the air as high as they could, arcing up over the town. Knox and Sunny tracked each one on their side of the boulevard and fired. Each package exploded in a cloud of shimmering, colorful sparks. Fireworks for the town.
The crowd cheered at the first burst of color and the band sprung back into action, now punctuated by the cracks of the rifles and the whoomphs of the fireworks.
"For as under the radar as that man likes to fly, he sure knows how to showboat," Trudy said leaning on one of the tables that was serving as her bar.
Doc Mitchell's girl was back again. Whereas everyone else had drifted off to various tables to converse and mingle and watch the fireworks, Ava had been Trudy's most repeat customer so far. She seemed off. Not generally off (well most certainly she was generally off) but in this instance she seemed more specifically off.
She was gnawing on a hunk of Bighorner meat and just as every other time she'd been by, her previous glass or bottle was had finally spied what she'd been up to shortly before Knox and Sunny had started their show.
Everytime someone approached Ava to talk or shake her hand or whatever, she managed to ditch her drink and divert herself back to the bar in an excuse not to talk. Like clockwork, she made the excuse, said she'd be right back, and then never came back. Trudy didn't want to ask, but also she owed more than enough to Doc Mitchell that inquiring with his screwball granddaughter was the literal least she could do.
"So you seem like you sat on a cactus," Trudy said as she fixed Ava's umpteenth drink.
Startled, Ava jerked her hand away from the glass Trudy offered as if it was going to bite her, and glared at the woman warily.
Trudy poured herself a drink and pulled a stool over to sit down. "Relax, kid. I'm the bartender. Everyone tells me their troubles."
A double flash of blue and then red fireworks lit up Ava's face. Trudy could see her brain wrestling itself into submission as she slowly pulled a chair out as well. Trudy raised her glass and Ava did as well.
"So spill."
"It's Mitch."
Trudy raised an eyebrow, glass halfway to her lips. "Kid, if you're looking to convince folk around here that Doc Mitchell's on the wrong side of anything, you've got another thing coming."
"Don't be ridiculous," Ava said, either not understanding or not caring about Trudy's veiled threat. "Mitch is fine. He's great. He's more than great! That's the problem!"
"That's the problem?"
Ava narrowed her eyes and Trudy smiled lightly. "Look. Mitch saves people."
"And you don't? You helped save plenty of people earlier." Trudy's counter fell on unyielding ears.
"He's a healer-"
"And you're a death dealer?" Trudy smirked and sipped from her drink as Ava finally paused and looked at her warily again. "Look kid, I told you. People talk to the bartender. I've heard it all. What's eating you? Cause it ain't Mitch."
She could see Ava's jaw clench and chew as she fought to put the words out. For the first time that evening, Trudy watched Ava actually take a drink. She poured it back, throat gulping, eyes tearing up against the burn of the alcohol, and drank it all.
She set the glass on the tabletop and stared at it. "It's me. I'm the problem. I'm violent, erratic, unsociable, my decision making is beyond questionable. I'm not like him. I'm not like…"
"You're not like Goodsprings," Trudy finished for her. She grabbed a bottle and refilled Ava's glass. "Can I tell you a story?"
"Bet you're going to regardless," Ava replied.
Trudy smirked at her. "Good to see you're perking up, smartass. Knox told you about Joe Cobb?"
Ava nodded. Joe Cobb, former resident asshole who tried to pull a racket on Goodsprings.
"He threw that knife at Joe Cobb in my bar and I was so pissed. If he'd hit him? Killed him? That would have been a rain of shit down on us that we didn't need."
"Way I hear it, shit rained down anyway."
"You're not wrong," Trudy conceded. "But we didn't need to help that along. And we definitely didn't need some gunslinger the Doc had patched up pitching us into a gangwar. If we had to fight, it would be on our terms. I was damned ready to kick Knox out of town if he hadn't turned out to get us out of that whole dustup. Look, Knox didn't fit in then and he doesn't fit in now. Every time he rolls through town, it's a countdown clock to him either leaving on his own, or ending up in bed with somebody's so-and-so and getting chased out, or some gangster comes trying to track him down and he disappears like a ghost. Knox isn't Goodsprings either."
Up the street Knox rapid cranked the lever on his rifle and managed to pop his fireworks shell and Sunny's. The crowd whistled and cheered anew. Trudy pointed at him.
"You hear that? People cheering. For someone who as a matter of fact has absolutely been run out of here before. And I know for a fact there's a wife or two that wouldn't mind ditching their husbands and lassoing him to settle down here. So if you're worried you don't fit Goodsprings, don't. We're a small town but we pride ourselves on being open."
"Mitch wants-"
"Mitch wants a granddaughter. He's got that. I've got a feeling this has less to do with what Mitch wants as what you want. For better or for worse, we'd take Knox. Not that Knox wants that. He's a roadie. That's what he wants. What do you want?"
Ava swirled her drink for a moment and sipped from it. "So this bartender wisdom…people pay you for it?"
Trudy reached to the end of the table and pulled a large jar full of caps over. The word 'TIPS' was scrawled on it in marker.
"You bet they do."
Ava reached into her pocket and dug out a handful of caps for the jar. She grabbed her drink and stood up from her seat.
"You off?"
"Yep. Gonna go figure out what I want."
"How you gonna do that?"
Ava downed her drink. "Drinking heavily."
"Solid plan."
Caps clattered on the table and were quickly scooped up, one of the ranchers, Hamlin, quickly tallied them and added them to a burlap sack full of currency: caps, NCR dollars, even a few Legion denarii, anything of measurable value.
"Back at four-to-one everybody, four-to-one!" he barked. The assembled crowd murmured amongst itself and a few more caps rattled onto the table.
"If I said I was having second thoughts, do I have any chance at getting my caps back?" Knox said from one side of the table. He moved to rise from his seat but was pushed right back down by multiple hands from the huddled onlookers.
"Gut up, Fancy Lad," Ava said from the opposite side. The smile on her face was hauntingly menacing. It was matched only by the glee on Sunny's who hovered just behind her.
"Break his damn arm off, Ava!" Sunny chided, slapping Ava on the shoulders.
"What did I ever do to you?" Knox asked her. Sunny stuck her tongue out at him.
Ava leaned forward and planted her elbow on the table, hand raised out to Knox. She tilted an eyebrow at him expectantly. Knox eyed her hand for a moment before snatching a bottle from one of the watchers, taking a stiff pull from it, and leaning forward to place his elbow on the table as well. Slowly, he reached forward to clasp Ava's hand. Immediately, she tightened her hand like trap and flexed her arm, tattoos rippling in a vivid display.
Knox swallowed. "I've made a terrible mistake, haven't I?"
"Oh yeah." She wasn't entirely sure how Knox had allowed himself to be talked into arm-wrestling her, but Ava was glad for it. This was going to be hilarious.
Sunny drummed her hands on the table and the crowd huddled even closer. "On three, right? One…two…"
She never made it to three as Knox cranked his arm to the side as hard as he could in an effort to surprise Ava. He managed to drag her hand several inches to the side down towards the table before it stopped. His eyes widened and Ava smiled.
Hands dropped down to his shoulder, keeping him firmly planted to his seat as he tried to lever his body weight against her. Inch by inch Ava moved their locked hands back towards the center.
"How you doing over there, Knox?" Ava asked. Another inch.
Knox said nothing and a vein throbbed in his neck. Another inch.
"Are we having fun yet?" One more inch.
Knox said nothing. Ava's feral smile spread to show her teeth.
"No shame in giving up."
He managed a weak smile as his arm quivered. He shook his head. "Never."
"Good."
Ava flattened their arms to the table in one quick snap, slamming Knox's fist to the wood and launching him to the side out of his seat and to the dirt. The loaded silence of the crowd disappeared amongst cheers, laughter, and more than a few groans from those who'd just lost caps. Ava stood from her seat, arms in the air, and roared in victory. The watchers matched her cry with applause.
Sunny dropped to her hands and knees next to Knox who was still lying in the dirt.
"You just cost me two hundred caps!" she shouted at him.
"You bet on me!? Why in the fuck did you bet on me!? You've been rooting against me!"
"Yeah, I was trying to tilt the odds!"
Knox rolled onto his back and held a hand out for assistance up. Sunny did not offer any. "Never visit New Vegas, Sunny. It won't go well for you." He let his arm fall back down and Sunny kicked dirt on him.
The crowd spread around several tables as everyone was inspired by Ava's display to try their own luck with feats of strength. Not so inspired to challenge her, but still. Ava walked over to Knox and sat down next to him. She thumped a fist against his chest. It was a sign of affection from her.
"Is that my thank you for letting you win?"
She snickered and patted him this time. "'Let me win'. Right."
Knox chuckled and sat up slowly. "Is my arm still there? I can't tell."
"You big baby."
"No seriously. Was that tattoo ink laced with radium or something? You are freakishly strong."
Ava held her arms up and flexed. She kissed a bicep and they both burst out laughing. With her help, Knox managed to stagger upright. He took a step and stumbled to the side, drunken equilibrium taking effect. He took another wobbly step and careened into a table.
"Whoa there, cowboy," Ava called after him. Knox gave her a thumbs up and held his arms out to the side to balance himself.
"We're good, we're good," he said. "Now where'd Sunny go? She's cute when she thinks I cost her money."
"I'm pretty sure she's over there with some guy who's been making eyes at her all night."
Knox nodded and cast an eye around, squinting to try and spot her. He did not. "The skinny blonde one right? He's cute too." He pushed off the table. "Alright, I'm off. Gonna go make or break someone's evening."
"Bye," Ava said, waving her fingers at him as he staggered away.
"Go talk to Mitch!" he yelled over his shoulder as he disappeared into the night.
She sighed. She'd been avoiding her grandfather all night. She'd vainly hoped Knox hadn't noticed but that wasn't to be. Damn that man's eyes. She looked around for further distraction but most folks were either drifting off or were deep in their own conversations. Nothing much to wander into for further excuse.
Which left little for her to do to delay.
Mitch had retired from the celebrations earlier on but only from the hustle and bustle of the crowd. He was still up there in his rocking chair on his porch atop the hill. She could see his pipe glowing as she walked up the path. Whatever he was smoking was certainly not tobacco, acrid and funky it wafted down her way.
"Hi there, kiddo," he said jovially. She lifted a hand slightly in greeting and walked up the steps, dropping to sit on the last one.
"Did you have fun tonight?" he asked.
She was quiet for a moment but nodded. "Yeah. Yeah, I did."
"Saw you gave our dear Courier what-for."
Ava smiled at that. "Also true. I definitely did give what-for. Made some caps on it too."
Mitch chuckled. "Atta girl." He puffed from his pipe. "So I was thinking tomorrow, after everyone sleeps off their hangovers of course, I know you mentioned being handy, there's an old projector over at the school house if you want something to tinker with-"
"I can't stay here, Mitch," Ava said, cutting in. She wouldn't look at him.
"Well, no of course not, just figured you weren't in a rush or anything. If you'd like we could walk around see about finding a house still standing enough to be worth fixing up."
He didn't get it.
"No. Here. Goodsprings. I can't stay here."
They were quiet and the crickets chirped and the final few partiers chattered. The embers in Mitch's pipe burned low as he held it forgotten in his hand.
"I'm sorry-"
"Don't you be sorry," Mitch said. "Don't you be sorry to me." She finally turned to look at him and he was staring at her solemnly, but still with the warmth and kindness that he'd held since the moment she'd seen him. He chewed his lip for a moment. "You going back east?"
"Fuck no!" she said, jumping to her knees and shuffling over to his side to place a hand on his arm. "Abso-fucking-lutely not. It's just…this place…" She stalled, trying to find the words. With a sigh, she hung her head. "I've done this before, Mitch. Small town, nice enough folk. They bled me dry. Every problem, every need. I'm not like you. I don't have that much to give. Today…the radscorpion. That's how it starts. That's what I'm good for and people start looking for a hero. I can't do that again. I don't know what I'm going to do but I promise you this. I'm not going anywhere far. The Mojave seems pretty interesting so far. Knox was telling me about this Blue Star treasure in that excuse for Nuka Cola you all like so much. Maybe I'll go find that."
Mitch patted her hand. "Writing distance then, that's good. Don't think I can afford sending another Courier out to find you."
"Visiting distance," she assured him. "I'll be around, you can count on that. I thought I was alone in this world and now I'm not. Knowing you, I didn't think I was capable of being this grateful. There's nothing out there that can make me say goodbye to you for good. Not a damned thing."
"Alright, alright, enough hyperbole."
"It's not hyperbole. I truly am an ungrateful, stubborn wretch."
"Oh, well as long as you're self-aware." He threw his arm over her shoulder and pulled her in for a hug. She allowed it. "And don't think just because you're not in front of me that I forgot you agreed to get your head looked at by the Followers."
"Yes, granddad," she replied petulantly.
"That's the spirit. Any thoughts on where you're gonna go?"
"Figured I'd go see New Vegas. I'm maybe starting to believe Knox that it's a real place. Maybe. We'll see."
They let the conversation return to quiet. For right now, there wasn't anything else to be said. They sat, the crickets chirped, and even the party goers were going silent. The Mojave sky hung above them, a pattina of omen-less stars. Somewhere a radio played and crooned about a blue moon.
Ava knew she was a wanderer and she knew she couldn't stay here. But she'd found a home. Someplace to return to with family there waiting. That was enough.
Epilogue
With an ungraceful tumble Knox slid out the window of one of the farmhouses of Goodsprings. His boots and hat were tossed after him. Whoever's bed he'd managed to talk his way into it had not been Sunny. She'd rebuffed him with a characteristic grin and all too happy 'not on your life'.
Not that it had stopped Knox. It hadn't. He'd just made worse choices.
"Skidaddle, now!" said the woman whose window he had crawled out.
"Will I see you again?" he asked with a crooked grin.
"If you can remember my name, Courier, sure."
"So that's a no then."
She smiled at him and pulled the window shut. Another housewife of Goodsprings had joined the club of women who now knew better than to believe Knox's silver tongue.
Gathering up his things, Knox quietly dashed away towards the neighboring house, gingerly stepping his bare feet to avoid any invisible cacti. He rounded the corner and nearly ran headlong into Victor's boxy chassis
"Howdy partner!" Victor's speaker blared cheerily.
Knox dropped his boots and hat and held his hands up to Victor's screen in a vain effort to silence him. "Sh-sh-sh-sh- Victor! Quiet!" he hissed.
"Howdy partner!" Victor repeated as Knox glanced over his shoulder to see if any lights turned on in the house he'd just fled. "Howdy! H-h-h-howdy-howdy-h-h-"
Victor's screen blinked out and was replaced by a flickering "Please Stand By" for a few moments before illuminating into a flash of pure white light. Knox screwed his eyes shut, still seeing spots against his eyelids.
"Ow," Knox muttered, waiting for the light to dim. He knew what was coming next.
"My apologies, Mr. Knox. I see you've been enjoying your time off," said a voice that was not Victor's
Knox cracked his eyes open. "You could say that."
"Well, I'm afraid your vacation is at its end. It's time to come in from the cold. Things are developing in the Mojave and they need your attention. The Legion and the NCR are growing ambitious and their footholds are expanding. The rest of your associates are gathering at the Lucky 38. We can expect you within the week?"
"Yes, sir."
"Then I will bid you goodnight. And in the morning, may I suggest something with an egg in it? To ward off the hair of the dog that has bit you, so to speak."
"Much obliged."
"I'm sure you are. Until then, Mr. Knox."
"Until then, Mr. House."
A/N: And that brings us to a close, dear friends. Both to "Home Springs Eternal" and to "Frontier Dreaming". It's been an excellent time writing this connective tissue between Ava's story in "Shattered Illusions" and the larger "Dead Man's Hand" narrative.
Please, if you have enjoyed this story, it would mean the absolute most to me if you would Favorite or Review it. A) It's really exciting for me to see that notification which really fuels the writing process, and B) It makes the story more visible to other readers. So once more, please Favorite or Review if you enjoyed the story.
But what's next? That depends. If you're reading from the far flung future, "Dead Man's Hand" is posted! If not and you're circa June 2022, I have sad news. I will not immediately be diving into "Dead Man's Hand". That requires a bit more laying out of pieces and parts before I get to print so to speak. However, you will not be going without. I have a little surprise for you all. We're breaking away from the Mojave for a little while and we'll be headed back east!
Coming soon:
"Boston Rising: The Commonwealth Interviews"