He had often told me the story about the Baghdad servant who was sent out to the market to buy provisions for his master, a wealthy merchant. The servant bumped into Death at the market. Frightened, he borrowed his master’s horse and galloped to Samarra to escape his fate. Later, the merchant went to the market to confront Death himself. “Why did you make a threatening gesture to my servant when you saw him this morning?” he asked. Death looked amused. “That was not a threatening gesture,” said Death. “It was only a start of surprise. I was astonished to see him in Baghdad, for I had an
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