"Appointment in Samarra" by W. Somerset Maugham

There was a merchant in Baghdad who sent his servant to market to buy provisions, and in a little while the servant came back, white and trembling, and said, "Master, just now when I was in the market place I was jostled by a woman in the crowd and when I turned I saw it was Death that jostled me. She looked at me and made a threatening gesture; now lend me your horse and I will ride away from this city and avoid my fate. I will go to Samarra and there Death will not find me." The merchant lent the servant his horse, and the servant mounted it, and he dug his spurs in its flanks and as fast as the horse could gallop he went. Then the merchant went down to the market place and he saw Death standing in the crowd and he came to Death and said, "Why did you make a threatening gesture to my servant whwen you saw him this morning?" "That was not a threatening gesture," Death said. "It was only a start of surprise. I was astonished to see your servant here in Baghdad, for I have an appointment with him tonight in Samarra."