Up for Renewal

By LUCIUS DANIEL
Illustrated by DOCKTOR
I'd give a year off my life to.... Idle talk now, but it was ghastly reality to Kent!
Howard Kent looked at his young and beautiful wife and felt the weight of the years rest on his shoulders. In her eyes he saw his heavily lined face and sagging, stooped shoulders.
They stood just inside the long, narrow reception room of the Human Rejuvenation Plant. Potted palms and formal chairs reminded one of a Human Disposal unit.
I have a confession to make, darling, he said.
Oh, no, Howard. Not now. I take for granted you've done the usual things in your youth.
But....
And we needn't have hurried so, as you can see. Now we'll probably have to wait hours in this perfectly dismal place.
She looked as young and fresh as he looked old and dusty, he thought, so out of place in this kind of establishment.
He had always loved small women. Leah was small and vivacious and dressed a year ahead of styles. No matter what happened, he'd never regret having married her.
But this is something I should have told you before, he said.