Free Everville: The City of Worms by Roy Huff Page A

thin with bushy eyebrows, brown eyes, and jet-black hair.
    Owen stuck out his hand and said, “Hi, I’m Owen.”
    “So far, this place is great. It’s nice to meet you, Owen. My name is Adamo.”
    Owen and Adamo chatted for a while, talking mostly about the usual history and introductions before Owen started fighting back fatigue.
    “All right, I’m gonna go to sleep. I’m exhausted,” Owen said.
    “Okay, then. I’ll turn off the light pretty soon. I won’t be up much longer.”
    About ten minutes later, Adamo had turned out the lights.
     

Chapter 11:

    The Funeral
    While General Varrick and the giants continued to prevent any movement by Oldrik, The Keeper sensed Elmer’s uncertainty in the decision that he had made, as well as his growing dissatisfaction with Oldrik. The Keeper decided it was time to approach Elmer, and so he entered Elmer’s mind.
    “Elmer, you were once a great asset to Everville and the Fron. Why have you abandoned us?”
    “Oldrik said that we were stupid to listen to you because there is something out there that is coming for us. He said we needed to shore up our power to protect ourselves from whatever it is that we might face in the future.”
    “What did he say we might face in the future?” The Keeper queried.
    “Well … he didn’t say exactly. He just said that there were more dangerous things that awaited us beyond the heres and nows somewhere off in the borderlands.”
    “Do you really believe that, Elmer, and do you believe that whatever darkness you might face is worth betraying the truth that you have always known? Is the promise of a little safety worth the price of betraying your land, your people, your values? Let me ask you, Elmer, do you feel safer now than you did before you left?”
    “I’m not so sure anymore, Keeper.”
    “I’m going to give you a choice, Elmer. When the time comes, you will be presented with an opportunity to stay with Oldrik or to go with the giants. You’ll know when it’s time for you to make up your mind. It will be completely up to you which choice you make, but be warned: whatever you decide, you will have to live with the consequences.”
    The Keeper left Elmer’s mind, and Elmer looked up to see if Oldrik could tell what he was thinking. If Oldrik knew something, Elmer couldn’t tell the difference. Oldrik was more concerned about the collector being depleted and the eventual loss of the shield.
    Despite the setback, Oldrik’s reach had been growing. He could now sense creatures that were much darker than the Fwaylan. He could feel the evil, insidious races that had succumbed to the darkness. Them had started to sense Oldrik, and Them were looking for something in particular in Oldrik’s mind, something Oldrik wasn’t yet ready to share and was keeping to himself.

    Back in the earthly realm, at Easton Falls University, the campus was starting to come back to life. The university had hired hundreds of workers to clear the debris that was strewn across the campus after the Nor’easter had slammed ashore. The workers who had been there over the past few weeks were gone; only the scaffolding on the damaged dorms and buildings remained, along with a few ‘Do Not Cross’ signs near newly-planted trees and grass.
    The morning of Professor Samil’s funeral had arrived, and several people could be seen wearing black dresses and suits and getting ready to enter Town Cars that were parked along the side of the main street next to campus.
    Owen was waiting downstairs by his dorm. Like most everyone else headed for the funeral, he wore traditional black, along with an unassuming blue and grey-checkered tie. He had finally gotten a haircut and was clean-shaven. Drusilla approached Owen in a long, black dress.
    “Look at you, Owen, all handsome and stuff. You ready to do this thing?”
    “Ready as I’ll ever be.”
    “Let’s get going then. The car is parked over there.”
    Owen and Drusilla got into the backseat of the car and