PRELUDE

 

Ethan Mueller	November 13, 1956
142 Westover Street
Pittsburgh, Penn.

Dear Ethan,

Enclosed is Westley’s last communication, having arrived, once again, with neither a salutation nor a return address, several months later than the story collection I gave you on Sunday.

If you are reading this letter, I’m deeply relieved . . . and gather you’ve decided to pursue the quest. His “Going Dark” might assist you more than the others.

Love,

Papa

 

“Going Dark” was the last of the many works of short fiction that Christopher Daugherty, a pseudonym, published in various literary journals in the early decades following World War II. Since fiction writers often seek inspiration for their work from their own lives, from this story and others, I have endeavored to piece together his true identity.

What follows will reveal why.