A Drink of Darkness

By Robert F. Young

All peoples have their myths of wanderers through time who, though they may not end their own sufferings, have the power to help others save themselves . . . Such a one was the gaunt man.

Robert F. Young was a Hugo nominated author known for his lyrical and sentimental prose. His work appeared in Amazing Stories, Fantastic Stories, Startling Stories, Playboy, The Saturday Evening Post, Collier’s, Galaxy Magazine, and Analog Science Fact & Fiction.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Wilder Publications, Inc.
• Release date: Jul 2, 2020
• ISBN: 9781515445883

Book preview

A Drink of Darkness

by Robert F. Young

©2020 Positronic Publishing

A Drink of Darkness is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, organizations, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, locales or institutions is entirely coincidental.

All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner without written permission except for brief quotations for review purposes only.

ISBN 13: 978-1-5154-4588-3

Table of Contents

A Drink of Darkness

A Drink of Darkness

All peoples have their myths of wanderers through time who, though they may not end their own sufferings, have the power to help others save themselves...Such a one was the gaunt man.

You’re walking down Fool’s Street, Laura used to say when he was drinking, and she had been right. He had known even then that she was right, but knowing had made no difference; he had simply laughed at her fears and gone on walking down it, till finally he stumbled and fell. Then, for a long time, he stayed away, and if he had stayed away long enough he would have been all right; but one night he began walking down it again and met the girl. It was inevitable that on Fool’s Street there should be women as well as wine.

He had walked down it many times since in many different towns, and