CONTENTS

1. [Harry Collins—1997]
2. [Harry Collins—1998]
3. [President Winthrop—1999]
4. [Harry Collins—2000]
5. [Minnie Schultz—2009]
6. [Harry Collins—2012]
7. [Michael Cavendish—2027]
8. [Harry Collins—2029]
9. [Eric Donovan—2031]
10. [Harry Collins—2032]
11. [Jesse Pringle—2039]
12. [Littlejohn—2065]

The evils of long and dangerous years finally erupted in blood.

1. Harry Collins—1997

The telescreen lit up promptly at eight a.m. Smiling Brad came on with his usual greeting. "Good morning—it's a beautiful day in Chicagee!"

Harry Collins rolled over and twitched off the receiver. "This I doubt," he muttered. He sat up and reached into the closet for his clothing.

Visitors—particularly feminine ones—were always exclaiming over the advantages of Harry's apartment. "So convenient," they would say. "Everything handy, right within reach. And think of all the extra steps you save!"

Of course most of them were just being polite and trying to cheer Harry up. They knew damned well that he wasn't living in one room through any choice of his own. The Housing Act was something you just couldn't get around; not in Chicagee these days. A bachelor was entitled to one room—no more and no less. And even though Harry was making a speedy buck at the agency, he couldn't hope to beat the regulations.