The Interment

After everyone had filed out, and the coffin had been moved, the interment took place. It was a fairly nice ceremony, a few words spoken. I watched the whole thing, and stuck around as everyone talked for a bit afterwards.

I moved around between little clumps of people. Some of them were talking about Kari, others were talking about the 8/23 attacks, and The Divide, some were discussing life and how you just never know, and one group of people was actually discussing Pokémon.

The stories about Kari continued, each one as true and unbelievable (at least to someone as cynical and jaded as I am) as the ones at the funeral. After the third story, I shook my head and turned, and found myself looking straight at a black tie on a white shirt. My gaze traveled upward to the smooth featureless face of the Officiant.

"What are you doing here?" I asked. "I mean, have you no sense of decency?"

The Officiant, as always, spoke without speaking. I have no sense of anything. I only am.
"Uh-huh," I said. "And was she within your jurisdiction? Is that it?"
She was one of mine, yes. 
"And you're here? Now? Don't you think that's a little tactless?"
She did not die from my... influence.
"But you still followed her around and did... whatever you do."
I did. I need to fulfill my purpose.
"And what, pray tell, is that?"
The Officiant's body moved not an inch. He didn't speak, he didn't make a sound. Technically, he never does.
"And what about Martin, huh? Did you have a hand in that?"
The Officiant raised one arm. His suit arm slid back as he stretched out his arm, revealing the slightly tendril-like appendage. I have no hands.
"You know what I mean, Eggshell."
I am not an egg.
I sighed. I don't know why I try to needle him. He never gets it.
"Martin," I said. "Grant," I said. "Did you have permission, or were you going rogue with that?"
I do what I must to fulfill my-Suddenly, he stopped talking. His head turned, looking at something off to the left. There was nothing but a milling group of people, talking quietly, and then he was gone. He moved without moving to a spot about twenty yards away, and stood completely still. I watched him, wondering what he was doing. His suit suddenly grew darker, and then right on the very outside range of my vision, a flash of a camera.
His suit faded back to it's normal color, and suddenly he was back, in front of me, looking down at me with those non-features of his.
"Really?" I said. "Here?"
I do what I must to-"Fulfill your purpose," I finished with him, "yeah yeah. Who was it this time?"
He didn't respond. Again.
I looked over where I had seen the flash of the camera. A couple of kids were scampering around, and their mother was trying to corral them together. The daughter was clutching a little stuffed monkey protectively, and kept looking over her shoulder at something, but I couldn't see what it was.
I turned back to the Officiant. He was still standing, unmoving.
I was suddenly overcome with a wave of loathing and disgust at him, and I pointed at his chest.
"Your tie's crooked, dude," and I darted off through the time stream to someplace where he wasn't.