Free The Road to Amber by Roger Zelazny

icy touch—
    And not one of them has afterwards complained.

    He likes to call me Morrie cause he knows that we are kin.
    But being nice to people almost seems a sin.
    When he smiles at me I feel funny. He’s warm and he draws breath.
    And I wonder as I stare at the boy who’s sleeping there—
    Could it be he loves me even though I’m Death?
    Could it be he loves me, even though I’m Death?
    DAVID awakens, as MORRIS helps him to his feet and hands him his robe.
MORRIE
    Put it on.
    He leads DAVID out of the room. Lights cross-fade, come up on other half of stage, revealing a dimly-lit, empty shopping mall.
DAVID
    What are we doing here?
MORRIE
    I’d like you to walk through, look around, and tell me what you’d like for a birthday present.
DAVID
    I know right where it is! Come on!
    DAVID leads MORRIE past a bench where a NIGHT WATCHMAN lies unmoving. DAVID stops before a store window displaying bicycles, and points.
MORRIE
    Which one?
DAVID
    The black one.
MORRIE
    (chuckles)
    One black bicycle for David. I’ll get you one like that, only better. It’ll be delivered later today.
DAVID
    Thank you.
    (hugs him)
    Don’t you think we ought to wake that guard up? His boss might come by.
MORRIE
    He’s been dead for some time, David. Myocardial infarct. Died in his sleep.
DAVID
    Oh.
MORRIE
    That’s how most people say they’d like to go, so he had it good. Just turned 73 last month. His boss thought he was younger. Name’s William Strayleigh-“Bill” to his friends.
DAVID
    Gee, you know a lot of people.
MORRIE
    You meet everybody in my line of work.

    SCENE 2
    Kitchen. AUNT ROSE is seated when DAVID, now dressed, enters and sits. He opens a card beside his plate and reads it.
DAVID
    Thanks, Aunt Rose.
AUNT ROSE
    Just wanted you to know we hadn’t forgotten.
DAVID
    My godfather Morrie remembered, too. He was by earlier, and he took me to the mall to pick out a present and—
AUNT ROSE
    (glances at clock on wall)
    The mall doesn’t open for another half-hour.
DAVID
    I know. But he got me in anyway. Too bad about the night watchman, though. Died in his sleep on a bench. I’m getting a black 10-speed that’ll be sent over this afternoon.
AUNT ROSE
    Don’t start on that business again, David. You know it bothers Uncle Matt.
DAVID
    Just wanted you to know the bike was coming.
AUNT ROSE
    Nobody’s been here this morning. Nobody’s been out and back in. You miss your folks. It’s natural you have these dreams around your birthday.
    (rises to her feet)
AUNT ROSE
{SONG: WHY DO LITTLE BOYS LIE?}
    Why do little boys lie?
    Why do they love an untruth?
    Why is a falsehood better than a truehood
    On the lips of youth?

    Why do little boys lie?
    Why do they like spinning tales?
    Why are they rappin’ on things that never happen?
    For it never fails—

    They lie to you, they lie to you.
    They look you in the eye and lie, lie, lie to you.
    Is it mere imagination, a phase they’re going through,
    Where fantasy is just as true as life?
    Or is it pure perversity, or rehearsal for adversity
    Where lying is the way to ward off strife?
    Oh, they put you through your paces
    With the falsehoods that they say
    But if they’re learning social graces I guess that it’s okay,
    If they lie to you, they lie to you,
    They look you in the eye and lie, lie, lie to you,
    And they’re learning social graces I guess that it’s okay.
    If they’re learning social graces it’s okay.
DAVID
    And I get presents.
AUNT ROSE
    Hard for us to know, since you weren’t with us last year.
DAVID
    Well, it’s true. Morrie always gives me something. Dad could have told you.
AUNT ROSE
    Maybe. But it’s strange that Morrie has never gotten in touch with us.
DAVID
    He travels a lot.
AUNT ROSE
    (Turns away, begins making French toast.)
    Just don’t mention him around Matt.
DAVID
    Why not?
AUNT ROSE
    Because I asked you not to, okay?
    David nods. Lights fade, come up on living room/porch/yard. Doorbell rings. DAVID opens the door. A black bicycle stands on