Varland Story - Chapter 22 - Grimmy

I woulda coulda shoulda bitten the bullet and filed for workers' comp or at least taken sick leave. That lazy bungler Wormwood's gotten me busted back to reaper. The slapdash job he did was bad enough but goldbricking in front of the family was inexcusable!

So, this job needs to go through without a glitch. Not too many people around, plenty of room to work. I do hope the little guy's too young to remember this.

He's had a good life, no regrets, no unfinished business.

And showtime!

Wrists still twinging but had to get back to work before any more jobs got hosed up.

And he's good to go.

No muss, no fuss. Wormwood should be here taking notes.

Varland Story - Chapter 21 - Wormy

You're right; I'm not the regular guy. Desmondes asked me to cover for him for a few weeks. Muttered something brusque about "medical issue". It's got to be mental; anything else he'd have just taken sick leave and the administrative assistant would be taking up a collection for balloons and circulating a card to sign.

I don't know why he always whinges on and on about doing this family. It all pays the same; there's no need to be such a Grim Weeper about it.

Funny thing, for all his whinging, he never briefed me on logistics. Who knew there'd be such a traffic jam I couldn't get near the client?

But it's not necessary to get up close and personal to get the job done; in fact, that may be part of Desmondes' problem. Just whisk and presto!

Tune out the wailing widower...

And there's time to chill until quitting time.

Yes, yes, I know you thought I'd have to phrase it as "time to kill". I don't do puns.

Varland Story - Chapter 20 - Bjarne

It wouldn't have been appropriate to make a big to-do of our wedding when we're still mourning Jorgen.

So Jody and I slipped off for a private wedding on the beach; it's becoming a family tradition.

Our announcement to the family was a bit anticlimactic.

The new arrival's name is Absalon.

Fatherhood seems to agree with Harald.

As soon as things settled down, Dad welcomed Jody to the family by baking a key lime pie, her favourite dish.

Which served a dual purpose, as we celebrated Valfrid's twenty-first birthday the same night.

I suspect his days as a bachelor are numbered.

I've gotten onto the ballot for City Council.

I take every opportunity to campaign...

Knock on every door...

Harald urges me to get more exercise.

But I seem be getting plenty with all the pavement pounding I've been doing.

I showed up to schmooze at the neighbourhood grill-a-thon.

Maybe I should have boned up on cooking first.

Varland Story - Chapter 19 - Grimmy

Being among the exalted ranks of assassins has put me in the zone.



Today's client, the good doctor.



He's not home yet; must have worked late again. Still, I'm a bit early so no point trying to track him down. He should arrive shortly.

Meanwhile, I'll pay my respects to my lady.

Deena!!!

Showtime!

Hmmm, not much room to work here.


So I'll take it outside.


Ooowww! Who knew he had a grip like that?


Crap! That's corked off my carpal tunnel and I'll never live it down if I file worker's comp.

Varland Story - Chapter 18 - Zeline

Elizabeth's passing seems to have strengthened Bjarne's resolve to continue her work.

Doogie is understandably devastated.

I try to comfort him but he's inconsolable.

Harald married Sonja in a quiet ceremony here at home.

Bjarne and Jody Douglas are planning to marry as well. No surprise there; like Jiro and me, they've been inseparable since third grade.

Valfrid is making his mark on the art world, even though he isn't yet out of school.

Someone once said that grandchildren were the reward for not having strangled one's children. I look forward to testing that hypothesis.

All in all, I'm having a grand time anticipating my grandchild, puttering in the garden and indulging in the occasional bit of mad science.

Bjarne is on the campaign trail nearly every evening. He works as hard as Elizabeth did and started in a good deal younger; I shouldn't be surprised if he were to become the leader of the free world someday.

Varland Story - Chapter 17 - Grimmy

A promotion to assassin is bound to come with some strings attached.




Crap! It's the governor! She's done so much for this town you'd think she'd get to finish out her term and move on up the ladder, but those decisions are way above my pay grade. It would be impolitic even to speculate about mob influence in this realm, so I shan't.

But still, I like her a lot! Crap! She's about as fey as my sweet Deena and I like that in a woman. Not nearly so delicate, though. More of an Iron Lady, in fact.

And a consummate politician to the very last!

Her young cousin wants to follow in her footsteps. What a helluva note for his job interview!

But hey, it's not every politico who gets a monument right on the steps of City Hall.

Who am I kidding? This really, really tears me up!

But whaddya gonna do? It wouldn't be easy to find another job at my age.