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Jonas started across the rooot his second shock His uncle’s stride had always been a proclamation that he owned the world Now, he shuffled His booted feet slid across the carpet Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh It was the sad, painful sound of age, and of athe end of his life

“Good to see you, boy”

Gray gave himself a mental shake and met his uncle in the center of the rooly strong but his fingers felt bony and cold For the first tie of pity for him

“It’s good to see you, too, Uncle,” he said

Jonas nodded toward a pair of chairs “Have a seat You want so some coffee”

“No, thank you I had enough coffee on the plane to float a ship”

“Good I never did trust a man who’d sip coffee when he could be sippin’ whiskey instead” The old rinned “Or ain’t you a bourbon man, nephew? I can’t seem to recall”

Gray s joke that nobody would ever join the old lass of the whiskey he favored His sons preferred wine, beer and ale Gray’s preference was for single-ainst his made him reconsider

“I’ht be fine right about now”

Jonas nodded and shuffled to the sideboard Gray saw his hands tremble as he opened the bottle of Jack Daniel’s and warned hie influence him He’d come prepared to listen to whatever his uncle wanted to tell him, then to decline involvement and head ho he wanted was to be dragged into sorting out soht, and he was here to advise Jonas on his will Hell, he wouldn’t do that, either He wanted no part in any of this

“Here we are,” Jonas said

Gray took the glass, touched it to his uncle’s and sipped the whiskey There was h, this time involvi

ng a box of Cuban cigars, which he refused He waited while the old man bit the tip off one, spat it into the fireplace and lit up

“Ain’t supposed to drink or s for this world anyways”

“You’ll outlive us all,” Gray said politely