In a world filled with risk and speculation, death remains one of the few things which can be relied upon - John Ralston Saul. Yet does that make it any easier to acknowledge? For some, the rituals surrounding death ease the pain of those left behind. For the grave digger, the funeral director and the seller of relics it's business - handled with discretion and sensitivity, of course. And for the sceptical, those same rituals are evidence of the spiritual frailty of modern society. Some of the eighteen stories in this collection are provocative and irreverent. Some are poised and philosophical. They all boldly confront the dark spectre that is our final taboo and obsession.