Page 288 of Bitter’s Sweet

She peers into Bitter's hole.

“Three feet.”

Bitter leans on his shovel. “Happy?”

“Never.”

“Good talk.”

Hyde announces him as the winner.

“Bitter Adams.”

The crowd cheers.

Boogie throws his shovel.

“Rigged.”

Ghoul points toward his plot. “You spent four minutes naming your worm.”

“Gerald deserved dignity.”

Hyde waves Bitter toward the microphone.

My stomach tightens.

No.

Please do not turn this into another speech.

Bitter looks at the microphone, then at me, then back at Hyde.

“No.”

Hyde smiles. “Scared?”

“Of microphones? No.”

Boogie shouts, “Public accountability round two!”

Bitter points his shovel at him. “I know a fresh hole.”

Boogie shuts up.

Bitter takes the microphone anyway.

The crowd quiets.

I prepare myself.

He looks into the grave, then at everybody.

“Apparently I'm still excellent at digging my own.”

Laughter rolls through the crowd.

That is all.