“I’m the one who made that stuff.”
The next dayFred’s clinic
In front of the clinic Fred ran…
Components from the truck Graham had dismantled were still lying around by the gate, where Fred’s assistant Who was talking with another man.
“It’s a shame you’re quitting today.”
The second man—Lebreau—was carrying a big bag with his spare clothes and other possessions in it. He shook his head. “I’m sorry to leave you shorthanded on almost no notice.”
“Don’t worry about that. Your old man’s sick, right? Hurry on back to him.”
Lebreau had gotten word that his father down in Florida had collapsed, and he had to head back to take over the family business. As a result, he was leaving the clinic quite abruptly.
Who hadn’t known this guy very long, but the way he was quitting out of nowhere was a bit sad. He didn’t let it show, though, and saw Lebreau off with a smile. “Well, we did just get attacked by those nutcases. I couldn’t tell you what they were after, but it might be good to steer clear of this place for a while anyway.”
“Will you be all right, Who?”
“Not like I have anywhere else to go. Besides, that stuff used to happen around me all the time, back in the day when I was running around with Ladd.” Who shook his head glumly at the memory.
“Ladd…? Oh, he’s the fellow who saved us the other day, isn’t he? I would have liked to thank him properly.”
“Nah, I’ll tell him for you. It’s better not to get involved with that guy if you can help it.” Who glanced away, then changed the subject. “Don’t worry about the job, by the way. Dr. Fred’s back now, and those two new hires are hard workers.”
“But I’m told they’ll be taking three days off as well, starting tomorrow.”
“Yeah… They said they have to help a friend out with his job or something. Well, the lodging house has enough supplies to tide it over until they’re back, so it’s no problem.”
✦ ✦ ✦
After finishing up the conversation, Lebreau said a polite farewell, then left the clinic behind him.
“……”
At first, he walked in silence. Once he’d turned the corner, he couldn’t take it anymore and burst out laughing.
“Ha-ha! …‘My father has collapsed’?”
I’m impressed I managed to deliver that shameless bullshit with a straight face.
How had he appeared as he played the part of the devoted son? As he imagined it, Lebreau couldn’t stop grinning.
Should I take over my father’s business? Bringing witch hunts back into fashion would be entertaining in its own way, but I’ll save that for another time.
Still, that pair, Isaac and Miria…
If they’re taking three days off starting tomorrow, could they be attending “the event”?
Either way, this is bound to be interesting.
As the man chuckled, his eyes narrowed in a smile behind his heavy bangs, and he let his thoughts go to the future “current.”
I tell you, this is better than I’d imagined.
This is what makes life fun. It’s incredible.
I’m so glad I became an immortal.
I’ve managed to get Czes, Huey, and Maiza onto the stage quite neatly, too. Not only that, but that lunatic smile junkie’s not here. It’s all so perfect!
Looking up at the night sky, Lebreau gave thanks to fate.
He didn’t believe in God, but he wasn’t an atheist, either.
If a god exists, that’s fine. If it doesn’t, that’s fine, too. Whether things I can’t see exist or not, it’s all the same to me. That was his opinion on the matter, at least for now.
I like it. The Dormentaires, the Runoratas, Huey, and the Martillo Family are all tangled together nicely.
The ones I’ll need to be wary of are Victor and Beriam. After all, they could upend the whole thing.
Although I imagine I’d see something entertaining in that case as well.
Now then, maybe I’ll goad Upham a bit, too.
All sorts of thoughts ran through Lebreau’s mind.
He wasn’t running calculations and trying to control all the currents; he’d simply sown “seeds” in various places.
There was no telling how they would affect the three-day casino party at Ra’s Lance, starting the next day. He didn’t know whether they’d sprout at all.
He just wanted to see it—people being toyed with by fate.
He wanted to see innocent boys and girls and his favorite “players” in the many moments of life—laughing, crying, raging, despairing, and even the brief moment they believed in hope.
There was nothing else inside him.
✦ ✦ ✦
Lebreau Fermet Viralesque.
He did technically have objectives and wishes, but he didn’t have a shred of ambition. That was the one big difference between him and Huey Laforet.
Both men had dramatic plans that dragged in all sorts of people, and they would accept the results of those plans no matter what. But despite those superficial similarities, their natures were fundamentally different.
For the sake of his objective, Huey wanted to know everything.
For the sake of pleasure, Lebreau wanted to watch everything.
Huey had a great will, while Lebreau drowned in formless hedonism.
To Huey, people were no more than test subjects. To Lebreau, they were his lovable players.
And while Huey had no malice for those in his experiments, Lebreau held great malice for those in his plays.
Granted, for the people who got dragged into all this, each was as much of a nuisance as the other.
What was going to happen in New York City, which had caught the eye of these troublesome forces?
Not even the two at the heart of it all could predict what lay ahead.
✦ ✦ ✦
And so the first die was cast.