Archibald Lox and the Sinkhole to Hell by Unknown
Author:Unknown
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2022-06-01T11:46:48+00:00
15
King Lloyd is buried in Green-Wood Cemetery, a sprawling, lovely old graveyard in Brooklyn, with beautiful views across the river to Manhattan. The king chose a plot in the shade of a crypt many decades ago, which is to be decorated with a small, glass, skyscraper-shaped statue, no inscription.
Cal and Nora are present, but the rest of the mourners are Born, mainly men and women who worked for him, maintaining his business interests. He was a wealthy man, though he had little to do with the running of his empire. I imagine most of these people have no idea the Merge exists â to them he was just a rich, eccentric old guy who liked to keep a low profile.
Cal chats with a sad-looking man and woman at the end of the service. He pointed them out to me earlier as the kingâs great-great-grandnephew and -niece. (âGive or take a great or two,â heâd chuckled.) They do know about the Merge, and have been closely involved with the bankers and lawyers in the kingâs employ over the years, making sure that dividends from his various companies were paid out to his modern-day relatives, even those who knew nothing about him.
âDo you have relatives in the Born?â I ask Pitina, who came to the cemetery with Winston, Inez and me. She knows that Winston and I will be joining Inez and her on their trip to Sapphire, and she had no objections.
âCertainly,â she says, âthough I have nothing to do with them. Iâve spent most of my life in the Merge, so Iâve long out-lived those who were around when I was a young woman. I donât feel any real connection to those whoâve come along since.â
âAre most Family members like that?â I ask.
âIt varies,â she says. âSome of us make our home in the Merge and live there for centuries. Others lead fairly normal lives on this world and only occasionally cross spheres.â
âDo royals usually tell their relatives about the Merge?â I ask.
âAgain, it varies,â she says. âIf you have a spouse and children, itâs hard not to share that part of your life with them. On the other hand, if youâre young when youâre activated, without too many ties to this sphere, itâs easier to say nothing. I kept my Merged activities a secret and gradually distanced myself from my family and friends.â
âIs it strange when you come back?â I ask.
She nods. âBut itâs a fascinating strangeness.â
âWhat would happen to you if you were killed?â I ask, and Inez digs an elbow into my ribs.
âThe questions you pester people with,â she growls.
Pitina laughs. âItâs alright. Iâve heard about Archieâs accident, so I understand why he asks questions like a Born.â
Thatâs my cover story, for all but my closest friends and allies. Inez tells people I bumped my head when I was delivered and my brain has never quite worked right since. Although, now that Adil knows the truth about me, Iâm not sure how much longer Iâll be able to get away with the deception.
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