The parley that I spoke of earlier occurred earlier this evening, and I find it necessary to document with it fresh in my mind. Mrs. E greeted me with She and Brady on her flanks. I came alone to the meeting, knowing that if I had brought anyone that it would end in everyone dead, and me with no heir. I never thought that I’d face the reality of my death so soon. To my surprise, Brady seemed happy to see me. I felt a sensation in my heart that did not register as familiar, and now that I have had time to reflect, I realize that I felt a fatherly love for the boy. I cannot define the moment where I realized this, but it doesn’t always happen with a defining moment.

    Maybe that is the beauty in life. I don’t need to find the exact moments that every important item in my life occurred. I realize that I can enjoy these memories with minimal quantification. I remember when I first started as The Employer, and how much I’ve changed since then. In that meeting with Mrs. E, I found myself lost in that past life of mine because that’s what it feels like now. Society doesn’t tell you that each decade is a complete life cycle, and it may not follow our calendar years, but it often lasts that ten years. We have the excitement of birth, which for many begins at the age of twenty-one due to the mental anticipation, and they then feel the death of an old version of ourselves at thirty. I see Mrs. E as myself in my early thirties. She seemed to hide the fear that all thirty-year old’s carry well, but I could see the confidence of someone who made it past that mark with minimal scathing. She didn’t break eye contact at any point, which I respected and maintained my own with her.

    Detective Luxemburg, I now conclude my planned messages for you. Any further communication will be issued as seen necessary. I can no longer trust that I will live beyond the lifespan of She. My only hope of success remains with the boy. He will contact you if it seems appropriate. I now regret not managing Cass Lawrence better and must apologize for the torment he caused you. I hope you know that when I took away his gifts, it did not end happily for him.