Death is patient. He waits. In war and natural disasters he doesn't have to. Souls come to him. With cancer and cars, he visits them one by one. So it was with my friend Vicki. But come he did.

For those who read these words, you will remember that the work of Death scares me. I was able to garner the courage to visit and discovered a happy, talkative friend who had been temporarily resuscitated by intravenous nutrition. In spite of this respite, the cancer marched on like a Nazi invasion crushing through flimsy human barriers, and about a week ago the wasting reignited and the liver began to fail. The whole time Death was in and out of the room checking to see the progress and the futile human efforts to keep him away. During the delay Death did not rant and rave or push or entreat, he didn't get in the way. He merely waited.

She regained 20 pounds the cancer had stolen from her, and she had renewed energy and spunk. It was a great time to talk and see her again. But Death came back. However, for Vicki he played a cruel trick. He made her sick very quickly but did not take her away immediately.

Death does wait but enjoys the conspiratorial assistance of evil men and wrong corrupt causes to speed things up. Death was thrilled when Cyclone Nargis in 2008 devastated Myanmar and the ruling generals sealed off the country to deny aid to the washed out thousands of their own citizens. When corrupt contractors build shoddy schools and apartments and keep the change, Death is pleased knowing eventually the earth will shake.

The Reaper celebrates along with the masses when there are anniversaries of lost battles and victories of a traditional foe. He will not be at the head of the parades that rekindle ethnic hostilities or national hubris. He lets the fanatics and the power hungry lead the procession. Death will be in the back far from the marching bands, just walking and watching. Revenge is sweet martial music to his ears. When any country has public holidays of failed wars fought centuries ago, Death is in the crowd listening for ethnic slurs or nationalistic slogans to initiate the bidding for him.

Death also loves rivalries and jealousy. He enjoys the excitement of shoot-outs over gang turf, eye-for-an-eye revenge, and spouses in rage. He encourages violence in homes and schools. He is partial to the lethality of guns, but any means will do. Anything that leads to more customers is fine with Death, be it weapons, drugs or alcohol, tobacco, or stupidity.