William S. Burroughs

A fable from the book  Last Words

Man sent his servant to the market to buy bread. Servant
returned, white [with] fear and said:
  "I saw death in the market and he made a
threatening gesture."
  The servant saddled his horse, gassed his car, mounted his
motorcycle and rushed posthaste to Samarra.
  Later the man went to the market and met Death.
  "Why." he asked, "did you frighten my servant with a threat-
ening gesture?"
  Death answered:
  "It was not a threatening gesture. It was a gesture
of surprise to see him here, since I have an appointment
with him in Samarra."