24
TALES FROMTHE FUTURE
little house. Why, that’s nothing at all! I have to remember to help her get
that land, and a house, too.”
But John forgot about his desire. Basically, he forgot about Sally. Life in-
fatuated him with its delights. A new yacht and his own jet brought him joy
for the first few days. Then for a long time, only the game of high finance in-
fatuated him – infatuated him and added billions to his father’s fortune, the
fortune he would subsequently inherit. This infatuation, which agitated his
emotions and strained his nerves, lasted for more than twenty years. It dom-
inated everything else. He went through first one marriage and then another
as if they were just digressions. His wives left behind no traces of them-
selves. After forty-five years, playing the financial game no longer brought
him any satisfaction, and he began to experience episodes of depression,
which grew more and more frequent, ultimately leading to a profound de-
pressive crisis.
But right now John Heitzman was not feeling depressed. Reminiscing
about Sally had stirred him in a pleasant way. And it had annoyed him, too.
“How did that happen? I made a promise to myself to help Sally, the girl
who loved me, acquire a plot of land and a house, and then I forgot.” John
Heitzman, who was used to keeping his promises, particularly ones he’d
made to himself, knew one thing for sure: his annoyance at himself wouldn’t
pass until… He pushed the button to call his secretary. When the secretary
entered, John Heitzman, who was now sitting on the bed, spoke for the first
time in six months, pronouncing the words with difficulty:
“A little more than fifty years ago I lived in a country house. I don’t recall
the exact address. You’ll find it in the records. There was a gardener who
worked at that country house. I don’t recall his last name, but you’ll find it
in the accountant’s files. The gardener had a daughter. Her name was Sally.
Find out where Sally lives now. I need this information no later than tomor-
row morning. If you get the information sooner, deliver it to me immedi-
ately, no matter what time it is. Make it happen.”
The secretary called at dawn. When the secretary entered the study, John
was sitting in a wheelchair by the window, freshly shaven, his hair combed.
He was dressed in a dark blue three-piece suit.
