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The first story about division co created the universe, sees har very i--a companion hom to share all this beauty

For a thousand years, he prays for a son The story does not say to whoiven that he is omnipotent, the sole, suprenant

When he realizes he has achieved his heart's desire, the god of tiile the balance of things is But it is too late and the child is already on its way All he achieves by his la in his belly to divide into two

The legend recounts that just as Good (Orod of time's prayers, so Evil (Ahriman) is born out of his remorse--twin brothers

The concerned father arranges everything so that Ore of his brother and to prevent Ahri the universe into confusion However, Evil--being very intelligent and resourceful--es to push Ormuzd aside at the ht of the stars

Distraught, the god of tis into being the huside Or

In the Persian legend, the hu to tradition, Good will triumph in the end However, es, this ti the opposite view: man as the instrument of Evil

I iine that most people will knohich story Ievery i is forbidden: the couple can never know theof Good and Evil The Lord God says (Genesis 2:17): "But of the tree of the knowledge of Good and Evil, thou shalt not eat of it"

And one fine day the serpent appears, swearing that this knowledge is more important than paradise itself and that they should possess that knowledge The wo that God has threatened her with death, but the serpent assures her that nothing of the kind will happen but quite the contrary, for on the day when they learn what Good and Evil are, they will become God's equals

Convinced, Eve eats of the forbidden fruit and gives soinal balance of paradise is destroyed, and the pair are driven out of paradise and cursed Yet there rematic words spoken by God and which confirm what the serpent said: "Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know Good and Evil"

Here, too (as with the god of tih he himself is the lord of the universe), the Bible fails to explain to who he is unique--why he should use the expression "one of us"

Whatever the answer, it is clear that from its very inception the human race has been conde between those two opposing poles So here we are, afflicted by the same doubts as our ancestors The aim of this book is to tackle this theends on the subject drawn from the four corners of the earth

The Devil and Miss Pryy And on the Seventh Day The first two books were: By the River Piedra I Sat Down and Wept (1994) and Veronika Decides to Die (1998) Each of the three books is concerned with a week in the life of ordinary people, all of who find themselves suddenly confronted by love, death and power I have always believed that in the lives of individuals, just as in society at large, the profoundest changes take place within a very reduced tie to test our courage and willingness to change; at such ahas happened or in saying that we are not yet ready

The challenge will not wait Life does not look back A week is h time for us to decide whether or not to accept our destiny

Buenos Aires, August 2000

For al outside her front door The people of Viscos knew that this was nor of the past and of their youth; they look out at a world in which they no longer play a part and try to find sohbors about

Berta, however, had a reason for being there And that er cli for its one hotel He did not look as she had so often iined he would: his clothes were shabby, he wore his hair unfashionably long, he was unshaven

And he was accompanied by the Devil

"My husband's right," she said to herself "If I hadn't been here, no one would have noticed"

She was hopeless at telling people's ages and put the ster," she thought, using a scale of values that only old people understand She wondered how long he would be staying, but reached no conclusion; it ht be only a short time, since all he had with hiht beforeand cared even less