The panel was done for me and inspired by an early edit of the short story below.


The little man looked out of place. He didn’t stand out, but he didn’t belong either. Since no one paid him any attention, Zalika tried to ignore him as well.

"So, you notice me. That is a very unusual thing." Said the man, "But there are many unusual things about you. I don’t believe I have ever seen a striped woman before. Do all your sisters have stripes like you?"

"My sisters are dead." Zalika was not particularly interested in talking to anyone.

"My friend often tells me that he has seen everything under the sun, but I think he has never seen anything like you. What do you think, should I go and get him?"

"What does it matter? You will do what you want to, no matter what I think."

"Ah, I see you are a wise enough woman to know me," laughed the little man. "I will go and get him. I think he will like you." As he walked away, Zalika saw something wrong with his shadow. It had too many arms and legs.

"Ah, there you are. I have been looking for you.”

"Now that you have found me, come on down and we can talk," said old man Death, from his usual spot under a tree at the edge of the world, sitting on a three-legged stool.

Something small began moving through the tree, and as it reached the ground, it had become a small man. "So, how are you doing this fine day, my friend?"

“What do you want, you crazy spider? I am busy.”

"Oh yes, Death, I can see that you are very busy today, but I think a less observant man might think you were merely resting in the shade of this tree." Anansi sat on a stool next to his friend. “I have found something interesting, and I think you should see it. I think it is a thing that you have never seen before.”

Death interrupted his friend Anansi. “I think not, I have seen everything under the sun. And I see everyone under the sun. What could you show me that I have not seen already? Mind you, I would like to see something new. But you know as well as I, there is nothing new under the sun.”

"Death, you think you know everything, but I say to you. You have never seen anything like this. Come, I will show you." Anansi stood up. "Well, are you coming?"

"I can see that is the only way I will get any peace," said Death as he stood up, with a proper amount of grumbling, just for show. He did have an image to maintain after all. "Let's be on our way. I am..."

"Yes, I know you are a very busy man."

At the village, Anansi triumphantly pointed to Zalika, "There you are, I told you I would show you something new under the sun."

Death was not impressed. "What are you pointing at? I see nothing new here."

"She is right here. I am pointing at a striped woman. You can't say you have ever seen anything like her before, now can you?"

"You are right, I cannot, and I still can't say I have seen a striped woman because there are no such things. You have had your fun. I am going home."

"No, no, wait, she is standing right here with the cattle. Open your eyes, she is right in front of you."

"What are you talking about? I see only cows and dirt. It is very nice dirt as dirt goes, but I have seen dirt. Now I am going home."

"You are looking right at her. Why can't you see her? Maybe your eyes are too old."

"Because she is not there, and your eyes are just as old as mine are."

"Yes, yes, but I have eight of them, that way they don't wear out as fast."

"I am going home. You have wasted enough of my time." With that, Death went back to his stool under a tree at the edge of the world.

"That is very strange, my striped lady. Death cannot see you. Maybe he can only see ordinary people."

Anansi slowly walked all the way around Zalika, stroking his smooth chin, thinking. "Perhaps that self-important jackal could help find out why my friend, Death, cannot see you. I will ask him."