The Tale of the Noble Cockroach

  When I was staying at 9815, I used to talk to the cockroaches: I was that lonely. One time, I asked one, "Why are you a cockroach?" It answered, "Because I lived only for myself."

  It left quickly, as they usually do, and for a long time, I thought I should have killed it: maybe its new life would have been better.

  One evening last week, Jimmy gave me some candles from 9815, and I looked in the box the next morning. Inside was a long skinny cockroach with wings veined like a fly's. It was sluggish, and I was grateful thatthe weather was cold: I did not want a cockroach infestation at 4505.

  After I smashed its head and disposed of the corpse and the box and washed my hands, I was standing at the kitchen sink, and a spirit came to my left. It was a dull dark gray.

  I said, "Wassup?" and it said, "If I leave now, I'll reincarnate as a cockroach. Can you help me?" I did what I normally do when I'm stumped, which was call for Kevin.

  There appeared a courier to the spirit's right and my left. The spirit asked, "Can I trust him?" I said, "Kevin sent him, so, yeah." They left.

  Later while I was asleep, Janelle told me the ex-cockroach had reincarnated into one of those short miserable lives in Africa.

  So its troubles aren't over, but if it keeps going as it has been, it will someday be a very great person.