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1、FamilyAnovelbyTomLyonsPart1SanFrancisco,California,BayAreaOctober19451.“Whensorrowscome,theycomenotsinglespies,butinbattalions.”WilliamShakespeare–Hamlet,PrinceofDenmarkDoctorJamesT.PalmerItisamazinghowclearinmymindaretheeventsthattranspiredonthemorningthatIwaskidnapped.Crystalcl
2、ear.Myshorttermmemory,Iadmit,isnotaspreciseasitoncewas;seemslikeIforgetalotthesedays,butalloftheeventsofthemorningIwaskidnappedarestampedintomybrainasifchiseled.Themorning,likeallmymornings,wasdrippinginroutine.Iriseearly,oftenbeforethesun.Onwiththeslippers,youknowthekind,tattere
3、dandworn,butcomfortable.Thentheslowshuffleoutsidetocollectthemorningpaper.Isettleinwithhotfreshbrewedcoffee.Ireadtheobituariesfirst.DoIhaveafascinationwithdeath?No.Withmyowndeath?Hardly.HowmanygoodyearsdoIhaveleft?Iamfifty,lifeexpectancythesedaysforahealthymaleissixty-five,whichi
4、sbetterthanitwasfortyfiveyearsagoin1900,whentheaveragelifeexpectancyforanAmericanmalewasforty-sixyearsofage.Ireadthenames,thedateswhentheywereborn,whentheydied.Ilookatwheretheylived;whenIseethatthedeceasedlivedinHaywardCaliforniaIextrapolateinfomorecloselysinceI,too,grewuphereinH
5、ayward;perhapsIknewthemwhilehe,orshe,wasalive?Manyhavefadedblackandwhitepicturesabovethewrittenobit;Ireadthedescriptionbelowoneach.Whenitstatesthatthepersondied‘suddenlyorunexpectedly’,Ithinkthatthepersonmayhavehadaheartattackorbrainstroke.Whenthedescriptionstatesthatthepersondie
6、d“afteralongillness”,thenIthinkthatthepersonmighthavebeensufferingfromacancer.Irememberagreatsadnessweighedmedown,likeananvilhangingonmyneck;Ifeltnauseaknotmystomach.Iwouldhavetowriteanobituarymyself;mybrotherEd,DoctorEdPalmertobemoreaccurate,hadjustdiedinasingleengineplanecrashi
7、nthefoothillsnearLasVegasNevada.Hewasforty-eightyearsofage.EdwasflyinghisnormalweeklyrunbetweenLawrenceLivermoreNationalLabandLosAlamosLabintheNewMexicodesert.Hewasanexperiencedpilotandhadloggedtensofthousandsofmiles;fromearlyreportsitlookedlikehewaspreparingtolandnearHendersonNe
8、vadatorefuel,ashisChampion7singleengines