It wasn't long, barely a year when I was graced with the privilege to hear from one of the elders, that he died and was quietly buried by his descendants on the Gustafson estate next to his ex-wife Sophie. It was the family's wishes and that of Sophie to have him buried beside her.
He was a survivor from the original Commissariat before the war, before even the uprising of the Artesians. He was quite open and relished the opportunity. The funeral was brief and there were mourners like at any gathering and the rites given and prayers spoken. I had a chance to speak with his children who were still my elders in age and they shared a picture very much the same as what he had shared of himself.
He was afforded a front row seat to watch much of some of our greatest recent history unfold and in some ways he had a hand in the most significant of these events. Everyone who knew him and of his life marveled at how charmed a life he led to experience so much and be able to end it on his own terms.
Edgar attended and said a few words as he was obligated by his attendance and station. He didn't know the man very well, but had met him a few times in passing. We spoke afterwards during refreshments and first of politics and state matters, then of my teacher. Edgar admired that I had sought out a most decent of men to learn from and he asked me for any advice or lessons that I could impart on him.
I could think of none pressing and said much of what he shared was so common knowledge that it would slip right past me and not have any relevance until the moment it was needed. This would often give me pause as he told me so many things and I wasn't quite sure when it would be of significance or value.
He asked me to detail it and I had been keeping a journal of his teachings and my thoughts and interpretations. The one thing I did mention, he often thought the Artesians spoke only gibberish, but as I read my notes, I felt somewhat awed that I was in many ways revitalizing what he never understood. It was with this I put my pen down as I looked over and it all made sense and was quite clear, this has become the writings of Knut.
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