The Highest Tree
by Dore Schary

THE STORY: As told by John McClain, ”[Schary's] hero is a physicist who has been working on a military project and is brought up sharp with the pronouncement that he has acute leukemia and has only six months to live.

The realization affects his relationship with his children and relatives, with the young woman who has fallen in love with him after his wife's death, and most importantly with his profession.

Finally he decides to devote his remaining days to work with his son, who is a geneticist, in a world-wide effort to abolish further experiments in atomic weapons.”