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And, inside, an old man had just died

'Oh,' he said He opened his eyes and looked around the interior of the hut He hadn't seen it very clearly for the past ten years

Then he swung, if not his legs, then at least the s off the pallet of sea-heather and stood up Then he went outside, into the dia He was interested to see that he was still wearing a ghostly ie of his cerenizable as having originally been a dark red plush with gold frogging - even though he was dead Either your clothes died when you did, he thought, or maybe you just mentally dressed yourself from force of habit

Habit also led hiather a few sticks, though, his hands passed through them

He swore

It was then that he noticed a figure standing by the water's edge, looking out to sea It was leaning on a scythe The hipped at its black robes

He started to hobble towards it, rean to stride He hadn't stridden for decades, but it was a how it all came back to you

Before he was halfway to the dark figure, it spoke to him

DECCAN RIBOBE, it said

'That's me'

LAST KEEPER OF THE DOOR

'Well, I suppose so'

Death hesitated

YOU ARE OR YOU AREN'T, he said

Deccan scratched his nose Of course, he thought, you have to be able to touch yourself Otherwise you'd fall to bits