The Inescapable Consequence

In this end-times fantasy thriller set in Pittsburgh, Cashe, a mixed-race pizza delivery driver with a severe case of sleep apnea, begins to have lucid nightmares of a mysterious demon after moving in with and eventually marrying his girlfriend Kia, a second generation Egyptian-American. A series of bizarre encounters-witnessing a murder, a foreboding warning from a homeless man called the "Prophet," an ethereal meeting with a young angel named Tulpehoken and an assistant manager with strange telekinetic abilities-leads Cashe to uncovering an apocalyptic secret society hiding frighteningly in plain sight, and propels him toward a destiny he never could have imagined in his wildest dreams. The Inescapable Consequence not only offers a contemporary interpretation of the fallen angel and watcher Azazel, widely depicted in various forms of literature, film, art and video games, but also explores the intimacies surrounding the intermingling of different religions, ethnicities and cultures in a socially-timed moment in history. Using a deft writing style, blending elements of magical realism and conspiracy theories, Belcher paints the urban landscape of Pittsburgh with superb detail, portraying and juxtaposing the so-often untold behind-the-scenes happenings of both big franchise and small, immigrant-based pizza shop business employees who work the counters of America.