"But I didn't do anything!" protested Engel.
The cop scowled. "We'll see. If you're innocent, you'll get out of C. D. in a few minutes."
"C. D.?" Engel echoed. C. D.? C. G.? C. D.? The initials hopped wildly about in his mind. At a soft whistling sound he glanced up above a high hedge and his eyes widened. Gleaming white towers rose up to fade into misty blue, and around them silently darted silvery bubbles. Faintly traced with jointed, concentric lines, the sky seemed to curve over him like a lofty and enormous spider web.
As he was pulled across a wide street, tall, hollow-cheeked people stopped to stare at him, and he stared back in wonder.
"Who are they?" Engel faltered.
The cop said nothing and led him through the low entrance of a tower. As they went down a glowing hall, Engel touched the back of his still aching head. Was his fall in the park causing these hallucinations? Possibly. But before the fall, hadn't some mysterious, unseen force thrown him into this crazy world? Then he had to find it again and somehow escape back to reality!
They entered a large room where lines of gaunt, solemn people stood gravely before grill windows. The Enemy is Listening! a sign on a wall warned him as a loudspeaker blared out a garbled message. The cop shoved him into a line. Finally the man ahead of them fidgeted up to an ugly, hatchet-faced woman who frowned impatiently.
"Yes?" she snapped.
"My wife deserted me," the scarecrow of a man complained. "I want to—"