Another Funeral

On the day of the funeral, the coffin was to be moved to the Church cemetery. The itinerant Priest who was in charge of several parishes was already waiting at the Church in the town, having made prior arrangements.

Henry, the young man, was undoubtedly chosen as one of the pallbearers. The selection process didn't consider personal relationships, but rather the strength of the participants.

Because everyone's relationship and friendship with Old John were roughly the same. But some people even had difficulty walking, and asking such people to help carry the coffin made it unclear whether they wanted to torture the living or the Deadman.

Generally, a pulley platform, similar to an ambulance gurney, is placed under the coffin in such situations to save everyone's effort. However, there are always some places where short-term movement is required, and that's when a young man like Henry can come in handy.

The body was successfully moved to the prepared burial site, and the zipline for placing the coffin was also ready. In the United States, there are even electrically powered lifting platforms available. But in Alaska, a few horizontal logs and ropes were used to solve the burial problem.

Unlike the others, the Priest did not grin and joke, but maintained his solemnity and dignity.

Before the Priest, even those who had been eating, drinking, and laughing heartily for two days straight restrained themselves. Everyone would eventually reach this final step, but no one wanted to offend the Priest.

Henry also went up to the high altar to speak about his thoughts on the deceased. But he couldn't remember what he said. In any case, it certainly wasn't anything unpleasant.

He didn't wear the custom-made suit he wore to high-end occasions; such formal attire would have seemed more like a peacock showing off its tail feathers in this setting. A simple black suit and white shirt would have sufficed.

Many of the elderly people attending the funeral did not wear black. Instead, they wore their everyday clothes, perhaps in a simple color, nothing too flashy.

The burial and covering of the grave proceeded without incident. For this aging town, funerals are probably the most frequent major event. Of course, nothing went wrong.

Back at the bar, the group brought out the leftover drinks from yesterday and continued eating and drinking.

Since there were no respected lawyers in town, the sheriff read John Brown's will to everyone. The sheriff kept most of the town's wills.

"For the other lucky ones who aren't dead yet." The sheriff's first words were met with a chorus of boos.

After everyone had vented their emotions, the sheriff continued reading, "All my selfish and despicable family members have already gone to heaven to wait for me. So what I leave behind on earth can only benefit the living."

"If anyone wants to run a bar, then inherit this run-down bar. What If...? a lot of people want to run it, then you guys should act like men and have a thrilling street duel."

"I don't need you to fight to the death. The winner will inherit everything. Although I suspect that a lot of the old guys who can't withstand the turmoil will die, in the end, it will still be the survivors who inherit. What If...? no one wants to run it, then let it rot."

"If there's anything you want, take it. Don't leave it to me. Don't worry about my ghost demanding my belongings; they're not that valuable. I disliked them when I was alive, it would be strange for a ghost to care about them after death."

Everyone laughed.

What If...? anyone comes back looking for me, tell him I left him nothing. This is a paradise for the elderly awaiting their final judgment, not a place for the young.

Everyone looked at Henry. It was clear that the words were being spoken to him.

My remaining money is in the safe, and that old, tattered box, which is only thick enough to be bulletproof, is otherwise useless. Of course, it can't be locked, and it doesn't have a combination lock.

"Pay the fees that are due, and donate the rest to the church. Tell the Priest that the Church chairs should be replaced if they need replacing. Stop having that guy Lim try to make do with repairs while people go to Mass to sit and bang their butts."

The guy who was called out was actually the manager of the town Church. He yelled, "Go to hell, old man! You won't change the chairs in your own bar, and now you're meddling in the Church?"

The crowd echoed, repeatedly denouncing the dead.

After the commotion subsided, the sheriff continued, "Finally, a warning to all the old folks still alive: don't go to heaven too soon. I'm tired of your ugly faces; let me have a little more peace and quiet in heaven."

After reading this very unusual will, the sheriff passed the text down to those who wanted to see it, and then sat down next to Henry, who was sitting in the corner.

It wasn't that Henry didn't want to fit in or that he felt alienated from the group.

Although the group of elderly people believed Kitty Tiger don't gnaw on bones and weren't afraid of this "big Tabby Cat," Henry still deliberately kept his distance, lest these uninhibited old folks do something to anger the Tiger.

The sheriff, of course, didn't stand too close to Kitty; he sat on the other side, separated from her by Henry. He picked up his glass and clinked it against Henry's, which was on the table. "I never expected you to come back, but Old John guessed it."

"Maybe he's guessing someone else," Henry chuckled, stroking the tiger-head toy resting on his lap. He then raised his glass, took a small sip, and returned the sheriff's toast.

"Whatever." The sheriff changed the subject, asking, "You must be very busy with your job, being the owner of a film company."

"I'm not busy. I resigned a while ago."

The sheriff looked surprised and turned to Henry. "So, you're staying for a while this time?"

"I won't stay in town; I'll wander around. For example, I might venture into the Arctic Circle and see if I'm lucky enough to see the aurora borealis."

"Snowy day? Are you serious? Aren't you afraid you won't find food and your pet Tiger will eat you?"

"Haha, it's still uncertain who will receive the emergency food." Henry was no longer as cautious as he was when he was in the small town; his tone was much more unrestrained.

The sheriff certainly doesn't have the authority to control an adult's behavior. As long as the person hasn't committed a crime, he can do whatever he wants.

This includes those who are courting death.

He shrugged helplessly and said, "That's your prerogative. I'm just here to tell you to keep a close eye on your pet. I have some equipment for dealing with bears. But I don't know if those weapons are effective against Tiger."

Kitty, who had a small Tiger Language Translator attached to the back of her ear, shook her ear. Just as she was about to look up, Henry pressed her down onto his lap again and continued to masturbate her.

"Yes, a gun that can shoot bears can definitely shoot Tiger. Whether you can actually hit them is another matter."

The two hunt in very different ways; Tiger are much more cunning and prefer to ambush their prey.

The sheriff frowned and said, "You know what I mean. Keep it under control; I don't want to play hide-and-seek."

"Yes, sir." Henry gave a strange, frivolous salute.