Landscape of Demons: And the Book of Sara by Gabriel Devlin Kessler, an excerpt

An excerpt from
Landscape of Demons:
And the Book of Sara
by Gabriel Devlin Kessler

Landscape of Demons: And the Book of Sara by Gabriel Devlin Kessler “Call for you on line one, Mr. Goldblatt, says he’s an old friend.”

I put my glass down.

“Yes?”

“Steve?”

“Tom,” I said. My hand shook. Why was he calling now?

“Bet you thought I’d died.” he said and laughed.

“How long has it been?” I asked

“Exactly seventeen years,” he answered. “You sound the same. How’s everything going?”

“Can’t complain,” I said.

“We’ve got to get together, catch up on old times,” he said. “Remember how I always wanted a boat? Wee, I finally got one. Want to see it?”

“I don’t know, I have to check my schedule, I—”

“Come on Steve, no excuses, I’ve got it all planned. Let’s go tonight.”

“On Halloween?”

“Why not?” he asked. “Unless you’re afraid I’m really a ghost?”

Now it was my turn to laugh.

“Where should we meet?” I asked.

“Milford, by the river,” Tom said. We arranged a time.

After hanging up, I drank until again feeling independant, cold, in love with the dead.