10. The Funeral
Back at Mark's apartment the sleeping arrangements had been changed. Max, who was curled up tightly hugging his pillow and Murphy who was twitching and drooling in his sleep now occupied the bed. Mark was now sprawled uncomfortably on the floor glasses still hanging crookedly on his face.
Murphy's tail flipped involuntarily around Max's face. His nose twitched at the sensation of dog hairs brushing under it.
"Ah-ah-ahchoooooooo!" Everyone jumped awake at Max's nasal explosion.
"Gesuntite." Murphy said as he yawned. Max attempted to spit out the hair that he had inhaled in his sleep, but he only succeeded in swallowing a fur ball.
"Why don't you keep your hair to yourself?" Max pouted huffily.
Mark straightened his glasses then glanced at the clock on his nightstand; 2:00 AM, it read. He took his glasses off, then cleaned them and put them on again but the clock still read the same. After a second of confusion he remembered that the storm had put the power out. He then took his watch off the nightstand and put it on his wrist. It stated the correct time: 10:00.
"Wow! We slept in late. We'd better get dressed and have breakfast so we can hurry up and call your boss." Mark jumped up and opened his closet. "Here, you can wear this." He handed Max a T-shirt, pair of Levis and some tennis shoes. Max looked at them in disgust, after all he always wore a suit, but nevertheless he shed his PJ' and put them on not wanting to offend his host.
"Before I go anywhere in your cloths there's one thing I want to know: If you get mad at me in public well you take them back?"
After he was through he walked into the kitchen where Mark was now getting out cereal and milk while Murphy was wolfing down his dog food. When Mark caught sight of him he tried to suppress a laugh but failed miserably.
"What's so funny?" Max asked indignantly.
"I just didn't realize how short you are."
"I am not short."
"Look at your pants." Max looked down at his feet where Mark was pointing. Indeed the jeans were way too long. The backs dragged the ground and he dept stepping on them with his heels. The fronts draped over the tips of his sneakers.
"I'm not short, you just have very long pants." By now Murphy was done with his food and was listening to the conversation.
"Anyway, I think you better roll them up before you trip on them." Said Mark as he put breakfast on the table.
"I can handle this myself. You see I'm just going to roll them up so I don't trip on them."
"Brilliant isn't he?" Murphy said as he got up on the couch.
"Thank you." Said Max, not noting the sarcasm in the dog's voice.
Mark rolled his eyes. "We've got to hurry up and eat so we can call your agency."
"Right."
It was now 11:30 and 99 was just finished getting dressed. She was in all black, shoes, dress, and veil, the whole works. Even Fang wore a black bandana.
She was still crying as she grabbed her purse and walked out the door K-13 at her heels. She didn't hear the telephone ring as she walked down the hall.
"She's not home." Max hung up the phone. "I just don't understand it. No one is at CONTROL. The answering machine isn't even working. I'll bet Larabee broke it. He's always breaking things."
"I bet everyone had a party as soon as you left." Murphy commented from the couch. Max had been right in his assumptions. Larabee had obliterated the answering machine when he had tried to take the tape out that morning.
But Murphy's guess had been way off the mark, for at that moment most of the CONTROL personnel were standing mournfully in the CONTROL cemetery. Ninety-nine stood solemnly next to the Chief wiping her unsuppressed tears with her handkerchief. The eulogy had just been concluded.
"He was so brave!" She cried.
Everyone nodded at her appraisal. "Yes he was brave." The Chief said.
"And so young!"
"Yes he was young."
"And intelligent." There was silence after this comment. She admitted that this was not one of Max's qualities, so she tried again. "Loyal?"
"The Chief nodded. "Yes he was loyal."
Looks of surprise and suspicion were exchanged as two men walked through the small crowd. They both wore turtleneck sweaters and black leather jackets. One was tall and well built with eyes inset and close together. The other was slightly shorter with a small scar on his left cheek, a blond mustache and a hat with the KAOS insignia on it. As they walked up to 99 the shorter one was the first to speak.
"'Allo 'Cookie'." He spoke in a deep German accent.
"Sigfried! What are you doing here?" She cried in surprise.
"Not to vorry Miss. 99. I just came to pay my respects." He handed her a small bouquet of flowers.
The Chief looked at Sigfried in suspicion. "I thought Max was your archenemy, and you guys swore to kill each other on sight."
"My archenemy and very goot friend." He corrected. "On ze outside I vas vantink to kill za man but on za inside… vell let's just say he had a vay of gettink under your skin."
"He sure did."
During this conversation the larger of the KAOS agents had been sniffling and wiping his eyes. Sigfried turned his attention to him.
"Shtarker!" He yelled. "Zis is KAOS! Ve don't cry here."
The underling quickly dabbed his eyes and put his hanky in his pocket then said: "Sorry Sigfried. I forgot zat rule." Sigfried rolled his eyes. He then turned, clicked his heels and marched off with Starker following loyally.