The remainder of the day finds Buzz in an absolutely foul mood; the argument with Ripp lingering long after his son storms out of the house. Buzz tries to occupy himself with chores; he checks on the chickens, he splits firewood, he checks on the last of the hay.
None of it helps.
By mid-afternoon, he stands beside the old wagon near the shed that’s had a creaky wheel for weeks. There is something satisfying about hard labor when one is angry, and Buzz sets about making repairs with more force than is strictly necessary.
The wagon gives a groan, and then another, and before the General can react, the aging support beneath the axle gives way and the entire wagon lurches violently. The wheel crashes sideways, followed by the frame, and Buzz Grunt finds himself pinned beneath several hundred pounds of wood and iron.
For a few moments he struggles against the weight of the wagon, muscles straining as the wheel pins him to the frozen ground, but then the fight begins to leave him. As the farmyard grows strangely quiet, his thoughts turn not to his military career, but instead his boys. Tank, stubborn and dependable. Ripp, infuriating and restless. Buck, still young enough to need his father more than he realizes.
For the first time all day, the anger drains out of him, and he stops struggling. Cold air blows across the farmyard, and the Grim Reaper approaches without hurry, black robes trailing through the snow. The Reaper extends a hand, and the old General accepts it.
In Freedom Hollow, folks speak in whispers of Saint Bethany of Tea, the mysterious bringer of death whose jar predicts the exact moment when a soul will exit this mortal coil. Whether Saint Bethany of Tea serves the Watcher directly or merely travels the roads between life and whatever comes after is a matter for philosophers and reverends.
Returning home from the schoolhouse with cold cheeks and a stack of lessons beneath one arm, Buck immediately notices the abandoned tools scattered near the wagon, and a knot forms in his stomach. The sight beyond confirms his fears, and he does the only thing he can think to do and runs for Tank. Then he waits in the impossibly empty farmhouse, staring at the door.
It is well after sunset when Ripp finally returns, the anger from that morning long since fadedand replaced by the lingering warmth of his evening with Ophelia and the secret vows they exchanged.
One look at his younger brother's face is enough to wipe the smile from his face, and Ripp's stomach drops.
"What happened?"
"I found him out by the wagon." For a moment Ripp simply stares. “Tank already went into town to fetch Nervous.” Ripp takes a ragged breath and pulls his brother into a hug, telling him he did well to get Tank.
An hour later, a wagon lantern appears through the darkness outside; the undertaker has arrived. After a few moments, Nervous explains the arrangements, speaking gently as he outlines the practical matters that inevitably follow a death: a casket, a burial; the sort of details nobody wishes to discuss but everyone eventually must.
When the conversation concludes, Nervous extends his hand, and Ripp takes it, the last conversation he shared with Buzz echoing unpleasantly in his memory.
