Two Stories Well Worth Climbing

"Two Stories Worth Climbing" consists of two stories, both well worth remembering. The first, "Twilight Colloquy", tells of two old-timers discussing the nation's recent rapid growth in population and the consequences of that growth upon the nation's (and the universe's) future. The second, "The Gift of the Magpie", tells of an internet exchange between an ordinary person and a computer icon with a very special offer almost certain to make this a better world. Each of these stories has a very special ending that will come as a surprise.