Memorium

An old man's memories may be filled with bitterness. But faithfully recorded, they may change the future of mankind.


Excerpt:

"Tell me about Gramr, Granthr," the thin-faced little boy demanded. "You promised to tell me about my three Gramrs."


Vance Norall's attention snapped reluctantly back to his visitor. It was perhaps not surprising that he should have dropped off for a moment. At a hundred and thirty such a lapse was understandable ... His eyes cleared.


"Ah, yes. Your great, great grandmothers, Ronnie. First of all there was Elsie. A lovely woman. Tall she was — taller than I, and dark. She rode well, swam well-even played championship golf. There was nothing she could not do."


Including lying, his mind wanted to add. After her death, when in a fit of anger she had driven too fast and crashed into a nest of highway posts, her memorium tapes had been brought to him in the hospital where he was recuperating. And from the tapes he learned what he had never really suspected — that her affections were as unstable and as unpredictable as her golf game was accurate.