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1、FamilyAnovelbyTomLyonsPart1SanFrancisco,California,BayAreaOctober19451.“Whensorrowscome,theycomenotsinglespies,butinbattalions.”WilliamShakespeare–Hamlet,PrinceofDenmarkDoctorJamesT.PalmerItisamazinghowclearinmymindaretheeventsthattranspiredonthemorningthatIwaskidnapped.Crystalclear.Myshorttermmemor
2、y,Iadmit,isnotaspreciseasitoncewas;seemslikeIforgetalotthesedays,butalloftheeventsofthemorningIwaskidnappedarestampedintomybrainasifchiseled.Themorning,likeallmymornings,wasdrippinginroutine.Iriseearly,oftenbeforethesun.Onwiththeslippers,youknowthekind,tatteredandworn,butcomfortable.Thentheslowshuff
3、leoutsidetocollectthemorningpaper.Isettleinwithhotfreshbrewedcoffee.Ireadtheobituariesfirst.DoIhaveafascinationwithdeath?No.Withmyowndeath?Hardly.HowmanygoodyearsdoIhaveleft?Iamfifty,lifeexpectancythesedaysforahealthymaleissixty-five,whichisbetterthanitwasfortyfiveyearsagoin1900,whentheaveragelifeex
4、pectancyforanAmericanmalewasforty-sixyearsofage.Ireadthenames,thedateswhentheywereborn,whentheydied.Ilookatwheretheylived;whenIseethatthedeceasedlivedinHaywardCaliforniaIextrapolateinfomorecloselysinceI,too,grewuphereinHayward;perhapsIknewthemwhilehe,orshe,wasalive?Manyhavefadedblackandwhitepictures
5、abovethewrittenobit;Ireadthedescriptionbelowoneach.Whenitstatesthatthepersondied‘suddenlyorunexpectedly’,Ithinkthatthepersonmayhavehadaheartattackorbrainstroke.Whenthedescriptionstatesthatthepersondied“afteralongillness”,thenIthinkthatthepersonmighthavebeensufferingfromacancer.Irememberagreatsadness
6、weighedmedown,likeananvilhangingonmyneck;Ifeltnauseaknotmystomach.Iwouldhavetowriteanobituarymyself;mybrotherEd,DoctorEdPalmertobemoreaccurate,hadjustdiedinasingleengineplanecrashinthefoothillsnearLasVegasNevada.Hewasforty-eightyearsofage.EdwasflyinghisnormalweeklyrunbetweenLawrenceLivermoreNational
7、LabandLosAlamosLabintheNewMexicodesert.Hewasanexperiencedpilotandhadloggedtensofthousandsofmiles;fromearlyreportsitlookedlikehewaspreparingtolandnearHendersonNevadatorefuel,ashisChampion7singleengines
