While Swedish people would take this very seriously, the rest of the world may not even notice. Because they think that Swedish dentists must be offing themselves every five minutes. That the population of that country has such poor dental hygiene as a result of this phenomena, the majority are walking around with a smile that looks like a burnt fence. But there’s probably not that much smiling, anyway.

The story would have stayed in Linköping. Dr Holmgren would have gone down as one of twelve people in a relatively unknown statistic. But nine people had hung themselves from a bridge in London the day before and, prior to his decision to laugh through his blood loss, Noah Holmgren had written something on the wall of his operating theatre in five-inch lettering.

Det finns alltid fler som väljer att leva.

Bara en sak är säker.

There are always more who choose to live. There is but one certainty.

It’s growing.

55

Ergo will get fat.

230 – Doctor would tell you – if she wasn’t resting in a metal drawer – that overweight people have overweight pets. They also tend to have overweight children. She’d say that these people usually put it down to genetics or bone density, but it’s not that; it’s that the modern western diet is one of sugar-filled convenience. It’s a culture of bad habits and either insufficient knowledge or nutrition information overload.

Old Levant is overweight, therefore his new companion will soon follow suit.

He happily chows down on his third bowl of wet food today. Chicken with sweet potato and apple. He’s also devoured salmon with sweet potato, and apple and some lamb, again with sweet potato, and cranberry. There is also a bowl of dry pellets in the kitchen to snack on throughout the day. The rest of the day, Ergo has been lying next to his new master.

Old Levant sits in his chair, his back sweat further bleaching the cushion behind him. He has a box of his nephew’s paperwork between his feet that he is working through for clues. Any indication that he was part of a suicide cult and anything that may implicate him as the leader of the sect.

The news plays quietly in the background. Old Levant is finding it difficult to concentrate on two things at once. He is also comforting Ergo.

In the background he sees text on the television.

It says Ludzie z wyboru.

And

And Arbitrio populi.

Languages from every direction you can travel shouting that they are The People of Choice.

And, though the television is almost muted, Old Levant can hear the shouts, he can hear it getting louder as more voices join the cause.