Tom Robbins is the author of over eight novels, including Even Cowgirls Get the Blues, Jitterbug Perfume, Half Asleep in Frog Pajamas and Villa Incognito (all Bantam).
On my day off, I drove my aging father to his death in the quaint town he had frequented after the navy when he was bouncing between jobs. On the phone, two nights before the fated trip, was the first I had heard him speak of this place. Though I believed him, doubts soon set in, and I wondered whether his claim was a phantom of his condition.
Christmas Night lies bitter cold and silent over the capital, and all life seems frozen. Even the wind is still, and the stars flicker like minuscule fires that strive to keep life going.