[brutusshh]

Impressive! The original idea and the impeccable style make it a great read. I didn't find it funny at all, because death in this manner is no laughing matter. The fact that people are willing to believe in something that can't be verified is perfectly true. The personality of the salesman is rather one-sided, but there was no way you could have developed it in such a short story. The way I see it, he symbolizes all the priests that try to convince us that a better fate awaits us after death. But in order to get it, we have to obey them in this life. The rhetorical question in the ending brings in discussion the validity, logic(or rather lack of) obvious in religion. I also think the "testimonies" are a direct reference to the Bible, which has been the base of Christian religions for so long that we take it for granted, without even questioning its accuracy. Huge change change in matter of topic, in comparison to your other stories, but it is masterfully done and for that I congratulate you.