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Chapter 2 - This is...

Matt looked up from the file and shook his head. "No, Nicholas. You are free to do anything for the day. For now, consider yourself on a day off. Day off is right, isn't it?"

"Yes, it is. But," he hesitated, "You have just woken up. It hasn't been a month and I am sure there are many things that will be new to you."

"You're right. I should be walking around," Matt put down the file and jumped down from the table. "Again, you can do whatever you want."

"Sir, I have been a butler for over fifty years. I have barely served you except for food and laundry and you tell me to do whatever I want all the time. I honestly do feel somewhat useless."

Matt sighed and put a hand on the man's shoulder. "Nicholas, I'm not like the others who need to be waited on most of the time. Just have fun. Relax! Enjoy life. Life is short."

"Knowing that I'm still of use to someone at this age is what I believe to be…fun. Because once you look old and frail, no one believes you can do anything right anymore.

Matt shook his head with a smile on his face and took his hat from the coat hanger tapping it back on his head. He looked back at Nicholas, still standing attentively as ever.

"Well then old man, show me around the city. But please for goodness' sake, not in your tuxedo and gloves. We both know that I'm absolutely clueless about the city and I need help from someone who's been around the block."

Nicholas bowed hiding as smile as he went off.

In truth Matt had never considered age as being a hindrance to being able to serve others. But humanity has, time and again deferred to and disrespected the elderly in cycles. He had seen eras where the old held the highest positions and being set aside. And in this era, an average retirement age of 60 where some seniors are even forcibly retired showed a lot of which point in time he was in humanity's cycle.

In fact, everything is a cycle to man. Apart from the continuous upward advancement in science and technology, men's civilizations go from the highest of highs to the lowest of lows. Each thinking that they are more civilized than their predecessors, therefore they had the moral high ground. But Matt had never seen a true change in people to give their age the credit they claim. Everyone was a mix of sanity and madness. It was just a matter of which side was winning.

And in every age, he had seen the same thing over and over. Greed of the rich. Entitlement of the poor. Oppression of dictators. Destructive societal clamor. He wanted to sleep again and not have to be woken to do his job. But here he was. Awake and doing his job to keep a pact made since the Nephilim worried about the fate of the world.

And there was no way he could say no.

Nicholas came back in a casual garb of a simple shirt and slacks that Matt was not used to seeing on him. Matt thought he still looked every bit the gentleman but certainly more approachable then when he was in his suit.

"Where to sir?"

"No, 'sir' when you're out of uniform," Matt grinned at him. "Just show me the city. Show me what has changed in the last few decades."