Whiteout - Saving The Scrolls (Nathan and Marie)

[x-cable.livejournal.com]

It turns out that it's not just people who need evacuating in Kansas City. A traveling exhibition of the Dead Sea Scrolls is in town, and Nathan and Marie are sent to retrieve them. Unfortunately, there are a group of nuns who have other ideas.


"Um...that way Ah think," Marie said looking at the sign that read 'Discover the wonders of a 2000-year old mystery.' "Of course, that's figuring that all the signs are still pointing where they're supposed to go." The Dead Sea Scrolls were apparently in Kansas for all of 90 days - of course, they happened to have arrived right before the biggest snowstorm to hit that part of the country in years had settled over the city.

"I'm surprised we're not being accompanied by hysterical curators," Nathan said quietly, following her. He looked well past the point of tired, but when they'd been given the news about the scrolls, he'd insisted on going with Marie. It's the history degree - I feel obligated, he'd said.

Marie floated forward, following the signs through Union Station that promised to lead to the scrolls. "Ah bet some of them had to be forcibly dragged out of here when the storm first came through." Pulling off her hat, she tucked it in her pocket, patting down her hat hair. "You ever seen them before?"

"Once," Nathan said, still sounding overly subdued. "In Jordan. I've never been much for religion, but you can't not appreciate their historical significance." He reached up, adjusting the collar of his coat, and coughed. "Funny sort of feeling," he said vaguely. "It's not like rescuing a person, obviously, but it feels very important, still."

"Ah never thought Ah would see them let alone carry them someplace," Marie replied, sounding more excited than awestruck. "Pretty cool bonus of this little venture. And much better than dealing with animals." She made a face. "Don't ask."

--

"Now Sister Mary St. Raymond, don't you look at me like that. We all talked it over and we agree. We're staying until someone comes along who will take proper care of these. God put us here for a reason and we're going to stay here until that reason is fulfilled," scolded a quavering voice from around the last bend. It had the sound of Italy, just faintly and all the rasping quality of years and years of breathing in incense. It belonged, the two X-Men quickly learned, to a tiny woman in all black, a prominent silver cross on her chest and short, thinning silver hair on her head. She was facing off with a taller, but no less ancient woman, also in all black. Ranged behind her was the rest of her army--a man in brown robes and two more women in black, one plump and one thin.

Nuns. They were nuns. Nathan's eyes widened very slightly. He'd picked up their thought traces and mentioned to Marie that they had company, but he hadn't examined what he was sensing closely; he was tired, and they hadn't seemed hostile. "Sisters," he said with a diffidence that wasn't quite convincing as he and Marie stepped out into view. "We're here to... uh, evacuate the scrolls. And you, as well. You all need to be somewhere warm."

The tiny bossy nun transferred her glower to Nathan. "And why should we trust you? There were men here before, they said they would secure the scrolls and they did nothing. The security guards, they told us that we must leave, and then they never came back. Should we trust you because you are dressed like soldiers? What good are soldiers to the Lord's words?"

"Ma'am, Ah promise we're just here to help," Marie said, doing her best to communicate respect in her voice. "We aren't soldiers, we've just been volunteering in town to help out with this crisis, doing evacuations and repairs in town. Some of the folks back there asked us to come check in on the scrolls and help them stay safe. Ah'm mightly glad we found y'all too...it's way too cold to be someplace that isn't heated for long."

"Sister Pete, you stop that right now! Soldiers, bah, your eyesight's as bad as your judgment. Can't you see they're with the Red Cross? Now we're going to let them help us out of here. Father Luke should be back at the hotel anyway and we're all going to miss Evening Mass at this rate." Sr. Raymond looked pleased at the appearance of the volunteers and hurried toward them, thin papery-skinned hands grasping at Nathan's, "Bless you both for coming."

The two other nuns shifted uneasily at this display and the plump one edged a bit closer to the case. Sr. Pete, or Mary St. Peter as she was properly called, hissed in annoyance. "Sr. Ray, I know very well who they claim to be but these scrolls shouldn't be touched by anyone who isn't an authority on them and a trained archivist. I don't know how you can just blithely assume that anyone is anyone and will do like they say."

That stirred the brown-robed monk and he lifted his head slowly, wobbling a bit, "Now, Sr., we should have faith in our fellow man."

"I have faith in Jesus Christ, Father," responded Sr. Peter sharply, "Men have failings, our Lord does not."

Nathan squeezed Sister Raymond's hands very gently, then released them. "I'm not an authority," he said quietly, "but I have studied history. I know how important they are..." He paused, debating, then went on. "And I can make sure they're carried back in their cases, shielded from the elements." He levitated a nearby trashcan to demonstrate.

The thin nun gasped, the plump one crossed herself, Father Luke appeared to fall back to sleep and Sr. Peter glowered more. Sr. Raymond looked smug. Very smug. "Glory be, you must have been sent here to us specially." She turned her smug look on her compatriots, "You're clearly the answer to our prayers."

Marie barely held in her laughter, instead smiling broadly at Sr. Raymond and then the rest of the group. "As you can see, we want to take great care with the Scrolls. We know just how valuable they are and want to make sure that nothin' happens to them." Or you.

Nathan moved over to take a closer look at the cases. The bolts holding them to the floor started to loosen. "I can probably take all of these, Marie," he said quietly. "Float them along behind us one at a time..." The sisters and the priest were probably going to need help getting through the snow.

Marie pursed her lips and looked around the room. "Ah'll be right back," she said scurrying out of the room and returning quickly while carrying a large bench over her head. "Sisters, Father, if you would have a seat Ah believe Ah can make the trip through the snow a little more comfortable," she said, setting the bench down very carefully.

Thin and plump exchanged excited whispers then the thin one darted forward to Sr. Peter's side, while the plump one eyed Nathan askance. Sr. Peter frowned and her already ramrod straight spine stiffened even further. "As Sister Mary Therese says, that doesn't look safe and you don't look anything like a historian. Additionally, Fr Luke is entirely too frail to be carted about in the wind like...like luggage!"

I will behave, Nathan told himself. They're nuns. "Sister," he said, keeping his voice very even, "the scrolls are coming with us." The sudden urge to break into hysterical laughter was not on. "We would prefer you to do the same, for your own sakes - it is not safe to be here in weather like this - but we're certainly not going to drag you. If you would prefer to wait here for a vehicle, I can call ahead-" He was not going to laugh hysterically either. "-but there are some very upset curators back in the evacuation area counting the seconds until we return with the scrolls."

Marie kept her gaze straight ahead - she knew if she looked at Nate she'd burst out laughing. And that would be a very bad thing, because as funny as this situation seemed to her, it was obvious that the nuns were taking it very seriously. "Ah also know that there is a severe backlog with the cars being sent for pickups," Marie said, careful to keep her voice sweet and not amused. "And it's still mighty cold. Is there another way we could aid y'all in gettin' out of here? Perhaps if Ah could find some covered transportation?"

"We go where the scrolls go," announced the plump one suddenly then looked shocked at her own temerity then firm. She stepped between Nathan and the cases.

Lordy. Ah can't assault a nun. "Sister," Marie said, barely keeping a straight face, "Ah can take you with the scrolls. That way you can, um, go where they go." And then the curators can deal with you.

Nathan was having an ethical dilemma. On one hand, the nuns and their priestly mascot were not safe at all here, and needed to be somewhere warm promptly - even if he had to 'encourage' them to remember that. On the other, they were nuns. He might not be much for organized religion, but still.

Significant glances were exchanged among the five religious. Finally Sister Peter spoke again. "Sister Marie Therese will go with you to ensure that the scrolls are safe. You may take the rest of us back to our hotel."

Marie's brown eyes were dancing with amusement, though she was careful to keep a perfectly serene face. "That sounds like an excellent idea, doesn't it, Nate?"

Oh, lovely. He got company. Nathan made himself smile, even if it came out a little tight. "I think that's a lovely idea," he said as the last of the bolts came loose and the cases started to levitate. "That way everyone's concerns are covered."

All of this diplomacy was going to kill him.

(OOC: Many thanks to Sil for socking the nuns!)