Next things...

Last night was a night that was...very strange indeed. I danced with Mister Nightfire for a good hour, and every so often we would pull me up to him and look at me real deep and not say anything. And when that happened, ifn' we was dancing to slow music, I would start to feel funny and raise up off the floor.

I was hopin no one would notice, but by the end of our dancin', we was a good two feet above the dance floor, lookin' down at everyone else. Nack was watching us and laughing, I don't know if he noticed we was up high, though. I tried to get us back down but I couldn't.

I try, I really do try, to not raise up like that, or forget and just hang in the air or from a roof or something and sleep, or relax, and usually I do a good job of it. I think only one time someone saw me floatin' down by the zombie places, and that was after my "ordeal".

But now, I'm afraid everyone will know there is somethin' different about me.

Some new fellow came in asking what I did there. Not people, but me specifically. I told him I ain't no one really. Ain't no reason he or anyone else needs to be thinking too much about me.

But back to the dancin. Then he said he would I walk with him. I said yes and I did, but he didn't say a word. Not one word the whole time. We walked 'round the block, back to the shelter where I'm sleepin' now, and I opened the door. I stepped inside. I thought he might step inside to at least see it. He ain't never been in it and while its not great, its a lot better than sleeping on crates and getting woke up by zombie bites. But he didn't step inside. I turned around to see if he was comin' in and he was just standing there, lookin sort of to the left, then the right, them around the corner, then up to the sky. He looked up a long time all across the expanse of sky.

Then he looked back at me, and held my gaze almost as if my eyes were that same expanse of sky. We stood there for some time. I don't know how long. It could have been five seconds, or five minutes. I started to speak and he put his finger to his lips as if to say 'quiet'. He drew his gun, silently, stepped back from the door, edged around the building. I was so frightened and don't know what came over me. Why was I not in on the fight? But, he came back walking around and I was still standing there at the door.

"I don't need protectin'" I said. "No, you don't" he responded. "I didn't say I was protecting _you_, did I". "You had to agree to do two things as payment for my taking you to get that left fixed.".

"You're right", he said, "I still have to answer the question. Ok. I will answer it straight as you ask it. "

"Does the Alliance pay you to keep tabs on me?", I asked him, for the last time.

"No, x0. The Alliance does not pay me to keep tabs on you. I'll go you one further: They don't pay me to report on you, or anything to do with you. Its true your whereabouts are my job, but you don't need protectin', I know that. But it ain't the Alliance pays me to do that job".


I got my answer. In the name of honesty, in the name of what is fair. He surely answered my question, but that ain't sayin' he answered my prayer. Maybe some things are better left unsaid.