Grace arrived at the plant early the following Saturday. We stopped off for coffee, then I showed her to her cubicle and laid out a few of the ground rules.

“First thing is, as reapers, it’s not our job to kill anyone or cause anyone’s death. People are going to die, regardless of whether we’re there or not. Our job is to collect the souls and bring them back to the plant for recycling.

“And we have to move quickly on this, because outside of the body, the soul can dissolve very quickly. If that happens, we lose them forever. You almost saw that happen to Julius last week, but you stepped up beautifully and got him.â€?

“What about ghosts?â€? Grace asked. “Don’t they hang around and haunt places for years after they go?â€?

“Good question,â€? I said, impressed with how quickly she grasped this stuff. “They’re anomalies. Somehow, through sheer force of will, they’re able to keep it together. Usually it’s because of some unfinished business, something they haven’t got closure on.”