Sebek doesn’t look up as he shakes his head. He goes to rejoin Sebek in the living room, raising an eyebrow at the untouched plate of sausage still resting on his lap. He reaches out to pat a trembling hand on Kalim’s back once his laughter breaks down into a rattling cough.

Deuce’s dark eyes crinkle in return, and his hair has frosted over to a dull white that rivals even Kalim’s near-translucent locks. The edges of Kalim’s eyes crinkle severely every time he smiles at something the other man says, but his laugh still rings out as loud and as true as ever.

They’ve both aged considerably since the last time he saw them. He glances at them through the kitchen window as he reaches for the kettle. But neither of them speak as they quietly sip on their tea.Īfter a while, Malleus gets up to refill his glass, and he realizes on his way to the kitchen that it’s Deuce Spade who’s been chatting with Kalim al-Asim outside in the garden for the past half hour. There’s a spread of traditional Briar Valley fare laid out on the tables – steaming dumplings heavy with ground veal and spices, piles and piles of roast pork and sausages, and fresh apple strudel topped with a blanket of powdered sugar - and Malleus and Sebek can hear the clink of tableware mixing with the murmurs of low voices all around them. But even with the small crowd gathered, the cottage is livelier than it’d been in a long while.

After they smooth over the last clump of dirt and the final eulogy has been read, the tiny procession splits up - some going to loiter in the garden, others heading inside the cottage to dab their damp faces and seek refuge from the heat.Īlthough Malleus and Sebek never did get to discuss the details of the funeral before Silver passed, they both feel confident in their choice of a modest ceremony – he never was one for frills and fanfare, after all. It’s a warm, sunny day, and the meadow around their home had lately exploded in yellow buttercups and golden cowslips and cool, hushed bluebells, as if the earth had flung its arms wide open in rejoice of the lone casket being lowered into its shadowy embrace. They bury Silver next to his father in the plot behind their dilapidated little cottage, just as he’d wanted.

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