The Project Gutenberg EBook of Forget Me Nearly, by Floyd L. Wallace

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Title: Forget Me Nearly

Author: Floyd L. Wallace

Illustrator: Emsh

Release Date: April 17, 2010 [EBook #32025]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

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Transcriber's Note:

This etext was produced from Galaxy Science Fiction June 1954.
Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S.
copyright on this publication was renewed.

FORGET ME NEARLY

By F. L. Wallace

Illustrated by EMSH

_What sort of world was it, he puzzled, that wouldn't help
victims find out whether they had been murdered or had
committed suicide?_

* * * * *

The police counselor leaned forward and tapped the small nameplate on
his desk, which said: _Val Borgenese._ "That's my name," he said. "Who
are you?"

[Illustration]

The man across the desk shook his head. "I don't know," he said
indistinctly.

"Sometimes a simple approach works," said the counselor, shoving aside
the nameplate. "But not often. We haven't found anything that's
effective in more than a small percentage of cases." He blinked
thoughtfully. "Names are difficult. A name is like clothing, put on or
taken off, recognizable but not part of the person--the first thing
forgotten and the last remembered."

The man with no name said nothing.

"Try pet names," suggested Borgenese. "You don't have to be sure--just
say the first thing you think of. It may be something your parents
called you when you were a child."

The man stared vacantly, closed his eyes for a moment and then opened
them and mumbled something.

"What?" asked Borgenese.

"Putsy," said the man more distinctly. "The only thing I can think of
is Putsy."

The counselor smiled. "That's a pet name, of course, but it doesn't
help much. We can't trace it, and I don't think you'd want it as a