Written in the last years of Saramago's life, Cain is a controversial and witty story of a wilful, authoritarian God. After killing his brother Abel, Cain must wander for ever. He witnesses Noah's ark, the destruction of the Tower of Babel, Moses and the golden calf. And he is there in time to save Abraham from sacrificing Isaac when God's angel arrives late after a wing malfunction. BRIEF ENCOUNTERS: classic novellas and captivating stories, to be read in a single sitting or savoured over days.