"You were there the day I made Captain," Cain said casually as he and Glitch wandered the newly reclaimed halls of the Central City palace.
"Was I?" Glitch inquired, surprised.
Cain nodded absently as he looked up at the bare walls, noting the outline of where a framed portrait had once hung. "The Queen held an annual ceremony for all the promotions," he explained, remembering the day he received his silver star to replace the brass one. "You, or rather Ambrose, I suppose, stood at her side as she gave the formal speeches."
Glitch sighed wistfully. "I wish I could remember that. I bet you were very handsome."
"Looked pretty much the same as I do now," Cain shrugged modestly. "When the commissioner called our names, we stepped up to get our new badges." He looked sidelong at Glitch, squinting a bit to look for that same face from years before. "You were the one who pinned them on."
"Really?" Glitch grinned, delighted. "That must have been interesting, though I suppose I was more coordinated in those days."
"You did fine, Glitch," Cain smiled warmly. "I remember thinking you were so young, too young to be the advisor to the Queen herself. But I could see it in your eyes, for that brief moment we met. That level of genius I had no clue how to comprehend."
Glitch gave a fragile smile as he looked high up the wall. "Most brilliant man in all the universe, that Ambrose," he said sadly.
Cain bumped his shoulder against Glitch's. "You still are."
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"Was I?" Glitch inquired, surprised.
Cain nodded absently as he looked up at the bare walls, noting the outline of where a framed portrait had once hung. "The Queen held an annual ceremony for all the promotions," he explained, remembering the day he received his silver star to replace the brass one. "You, or rather Ambrose, I suppose, stood at her side as she gave the formal speeches."
Glitch sighed wistfully. "I wish I could remember that. I bet you were very handsome."
"Looked pretty much the same as I do now," Cain shrugged modestly. "When the commissioner called our names, we stepped up to get our new badges." He looked sidelong at Glitch, squinting a bit to look for that same face from years before. "You were the one who pinned them on."
"Really?" Glitch grinned, delighted. "That must have been interesting, though I suppose I was more coordinated in those days."
"You did fine, Glitch," Cain smiled warmly. "I remember thinking you were so young, too young to be the advisor to the Queen herself. But I could see it in your eyes, for that brief moment we met. That level of genius I had no clue how to comprehend."
Glitch gave a fragile smile as he looked high up the wall. "Most brilliant man in all the universe, that Ambrose," he said sadly.
Cain bumped his shoulder against Glitch's. "You still are."