“A Message from Holly?”James sits down at the computer to check his email, expecting to see the usual mix of messages from old friends, offers to improve his love life and “deals” on things he doesn’t want. He scans the new messages, deciding which ones to save and read, and which ones to delete immediately. Suddenly he is stopped in his tracks by the return address on one message.
The message has a return address of
[email protected] - the address that used to belong to Holly, his wife, long since deceased. James is shocked. It has to be someone’s sick idea of a joke. But who would do such a thing? Is this some new version of harassment dreamt up by the paparazzi that hound his family? He quickly moves to delete the message.
Then stops, his finger resting on the delete button. He can’t help being curious about the message. The subject line says: “James, don’t you dare delete this message.” It sounds like something Holly would say. He knows that if he deletes the message, he’ll always wonder about it. He clicks to open it and starts reading.
“Dear James,” the message begins, “I know you will be skeptical about receiving this message so long after my passing, but please give me a chance to explain. Yes, it really is me writing to you. Remember the day we met? You came out of the library, saw me in Central Park, and called me over. Then there was the time I came home from the library and found Dustin Langerak reading in bed beside you, and I was so angry. Does this convince you? No-one living could possibly know of those events.” James is amazed. He believes this message really is, somehow, from Holly. A tear comes to his eye as he remembers how in love they were.
He continues reading. “Remember Cyclone Sword, the guy you always referred to as the computer geek? He had this idea for a kind of cyber immortality*, where people could have messages sent after their death, on birthdays or other special occasions. My father Nick Alto invested money in the scheme. As I am writing this, the end of my life is near. There is something I want to tell you about, but I know if I tell you now, it will cause you needless anxiety. So I am asking Cyclone to program this message to be sent to you when we estimate the clan’s Eighth generation will be born. If my fears are borne out, this will give you time to prepare in whatever way you can. If my fears are unfounded, you won’t have too long to worry about it.
Ever since our Wimsey was born, I have been having a recurring dream. The details vary, but the dreams all seem to be about the same thing. In the most recent one, I saw Grim rubbing his hands gleefully and gloating; he was saying, ‘Finally I can take them! All eight of them!’ It seemed there was some kind of horrible disaster that had wiped out our whole clan. As I said, the dreams weren’t always exactly the same, so I don’t know the nature of the disaster. But this dream, or some variation of it, has been happening over and over, and I have come to believe that it may have to do with a real danger that you will face after Generation 8 is born. I hope this is nothing but a silly dream, but what if it isn’t? Premonitions in dreams can come true, you know that.** Please, James, for my sake and the sake of the 8 generations, take whatever precautions you can and try to prepare. I so want you all to be safe and for the dynasty to be complete.”
James reads the endearments with which Holly ends her message (which he prefers to keep private). He sits lost in thought for a long while. Then he gets up and packs his fishing gear, resolving to contemplate the matter as he is fishing.
* Editor’s note: I wish I could take credit for the concept of cyber immortality, but I can’t. It’s an idea I heard discussed on CBC radio one day and knew I wanted to use it here.
** The idea of a recurring premonitory dream also isn’t original. My own father had a recurring dream that began in childhood; it wasn’t until the last years of his life that he understood that the dream had to do with his own future. I don’t know how, but these things are real. Then again, Holly’s dream may have nothing to do with the future. Sometimes a dream is just a dream.
