Eight stories that range from the odd and darkly funny to sentimental. They include the tale of a pastor who accidentally hires the devil as church secretary; an accountant who logically tries to learn to feel emotion; three songwriters who plot to kill their publisher; and Blake Winkler, the aging rocker with an unfortunate tic who realizes he has wasted his life. There is also the man who returns to fishing after a twenty year hiatus under the watchful eye of a stray cat and the private in the Viet Nam war who receives an unexpected penalty after slacking on guard duty.