The Descent of Ishtar 1

Right now I am writing a novella modelled after a Mesopotamian story of the underworld: The Descent of Ishtar. Yay. After it is published and reaches the top of the New York Times bestseller list for fiction, its many acclaimers will say that it is obviously a commentary on death - that death is the great equalizer or some such hash. Yes, I suppose that would be a credible (though extraneous) sort of exegesis, but in all honesty, as the writer, I cannot say that my purpose is so transpicuous. Or perhaps it is more so. I think I am writing it partly because I enjoy the story immensely (and I do think its poignancy is related to its mantra of death) and partly because... oh. the computer lab is closing. I will continue this post later.