The story is written as an article by an unnamed journalist in the near future, who tells his experience with a device that endows its users with eidetic memory, interspersed with a fictionalized account of an incident in which writing was introduced to an African tribe.
At age 20, Jijingi is asked by elder Sabe to work as a scribe in legal disputes, where Moseby disapprovingly discovers that the Tiv condone lying in court if it is for a good cause.
Upon learning this, Sabe disagrees and expresses to Jijingi his concern about going astray from the Tiv ways by valuing accuracy over morality.
In the near future, lifelogging and retinal projectors have been commonplace for years, and the release of Remem, a search algorithm, effectively grants users eidetic memory.
Despite interviewing a couple who welcome the device as a way to settle arguments and a spokesperson for the maker of Remem, the journalist remains adamant that forgetfulness is essential for forgiving and making personal narratives.