The Mortimer Sisters were fearless and four until Nyx woke up one morning to find that Clara had not. Death is a funny thing until he pays a visit. Nyx and her sisters knew this better, perhaps, than anyone.


You see, the Mortimers were morticians which was fortunate because they lived in October— a town tame, a village vibrant— a place where anything could happen, where everything did and accidents happened all the time. Happily (at least for a mortician monetarily), Death more than sometimes happened to follow. In such a place, such a village, such a town (and in any place else), a mortician was usually useful. In October (quite obviously) it was luck to have four. Five, including their father. Five morticians happened to be heroes.


The Mortimers were young, but being raised by Dr. Down presented many many chances to learn all about the Downstairs: the cadaver-covered morgue. They all had seen the After. After the accident. After the end. But only Nyx and Clara had worked Upstairs with Mrs. Down. They all had seen the After, but it was only in the funeral home where one could see what happened after that.