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A trilogy of stories takes a look at war.
In a time gone by, a grandfather tries to tell his grandson about war. Men recruited, and pressed into service to protect the glory of a way of life against the hated enemy. Why does one group hate another? Is it a matter of fearing death, or of the survival of the war that drives our objector to the war. The warmongers only drive the population at large to condemn, and kill the perceived shirker in their midst. When will the vicious circle of war end? Who is actually the brave one?
Somewhere in the Mediterranean Sea, a warship has pulled a boy and his young sister out of the foggy night, and the tiny boat they were adrift in. Their home has been flattened into a hole in the ground. Can the captain explain about the civilian losses, the collateral damage of war? Will the gray head of the captain prove to be wise, and come through with a new hope for the boy?
In the future, imagine the humor and surprise of a peace-loving people when one of them encounters an old man, with an old book. It tells of wars, of people fighting over territories of land. It tells of men who stand up for peace, but are killed in the name of it. It all seems like a huge joke to our futuristic descendant. The reasons and excuses for war and the atomic bomb that obliterated that ancient society is so unreal to him, that his laughter can hardly be controlled.
Note: Often Arch Oboler writes about spooks, monsters, and ghosts. However, as in today’s stories, he often comments on hot button social issues of the times.
