Wraith knocked the door but once and Darknight, or as his neighbours knew him, Mr Tom Green opened the door.
"Come in, come in." He said with a friendly smile. He looked like a very old man in slacks, blue shirt and grey cardigan. But underneath there lay a hard as stone man with a mighty reputation.
They hugged in the hallway. "No damn aliens calling you away this time is there?" Wraith gave a raised eyebrow then walked into the living room.
"Tea or Guinness that's all I got here." Darknight said as he walked into his kitchen. Wraith called out. "Guinness."
"I was hoping you'd say that." He chuckled.
Darknight sat down gingerly and took two big gulps off his pint then wiped away the froth from his whiting beard and said. "I read somewhere Guinness was first made in London."
He gave a belch then leaned back in his chair and said in a matter of fact way. "I got cancer; the doctors have given me less than 3 months."
Wraith took a sip off his pint as a nervous chill went up his spine. He was never good with surprise shock news. "I'm sorry." He finally said and took another sip.
Darknight understood his reaction, he'd do the same. They were both that kind of man, the old school kind.
Darknight then leant forward and gave a big smile. "I'm 97 years old, what did you think? I don't live forever like you." He gave a shrug of his shoulders. "I'm sorry. You know what I mean."
"It's ok. Is there anything I can do?" Wraith said.
"Two things." He took a letter out of his cardigan pocket and tossed it over to Wraith. "When I die this gives you legal control over my property. Sell it all and give the money to my son. The address is enclosed"
"You have a son?"
"It's a long story. Hell, he's only 27." He chuckled. "Let's just say me and his mother had a single wonderful night together."
"And the other?"
Darknight got up and shuffled over to a nearby shelf and brought out a file. He tossed it over to Wraith. "A man's got to have some sort of legacy. That's mine. It's about my early days as Darknight. It's not the best thing you'll ever read, but not the worst either."
Wraith read the title out loud. "Gladiator."
Darknight shuffled out to the kitchen. "I'll cook us some supper while you read through it."
Wraith flicked through the pages. There wasn't much to it. "Ok sure." As he began to read, he could hear the muffled sounds of weeping coming from the kitchen. "You ok out there? Do you need help with anything?" Wraith called.
"You just read those damn words boy," Darknight shouted out. "And let me know what you think." Old school, Wraith thought, nothing more harder, nothing more fragile.
He began to read.