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Life Sentence, by James McConnell
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Title: Life Sentence
Author: James McConnell
Illustrator: Dick Francis
Release Date: September 2, 2009 [EBook #29889]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ASCII
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[Illustration]
Life Sentence
By JAMES McCONNELL
Illustrated by DICK FRANCIS
"Happy New Year!" she cried. But how often should one hear it said in a single lifetime?
Outside, bells were ringing. "Happy New Year!"
The mad sound of people crazed for the moment, shouting, echoed the bells.
"Happy New Year!"
A sound of music, waxing, waning, now joined in wild symphony by the voices, now left alone to counterpoint the noise of human celebration....
For a while, Oliver Symmes heard the raucous music of the crowd. It became a part of him, seemed to come from somewhere inside him, gave him life. And then, as always, it passed on, leaving him empty.
Shadows....
The door to his room opened and a young-looking woman, dressed in a pleasant green uniform, came in and turned up the light. On her sleeve she wore the badge of geriatrician, with the motto, "To Care for the Aged."
"Happy N