THE COURTESY OF DEATH

In this agreeably bizarre entertainment Mr. Household pursues a favorite pastime...the manhunt. The indomitably British Yarrow, an ex-mining engineer who is currently finding life a trifle dull, readily enters into the mysterious proceedings when the stranger, Barnabas Fosworth, a ""queer fish,"" stumbles bloody but unbowed into his motel room. Barnabas is sought after by members of a sect that believe number one in ""metaphysical animism,"" number two that there is no death, and number three that they should always ""apologize to anything you kill before you kill it."" Before long they are apologizing all over the place to both Fosworth and Yarrow who find themselves trapped in a cavern where certain authentic primitive paintings offer the sect the most ""profound religious significance."" Fosworth is done in by the brotherhood but Yarrow escapes to find that he might be accused of Fosworth's death and he is forced to enter into a bargain with the quirky outfit. Not everyone's cup of sassafras but a sure pleaser for Mr. Household's audience.