Recruit for Andromeda

Recruit for Andromeda by Stephen Marlowe.

Chapter one.

When the first strong sunlight of May covered the tree-arched avenues of Center City with green, the riots started.

The people gathered in angry knots outside the city hall, met in the park, and littered its walks with newspapers and magazines as they gobbled up editorial comment at a furious rate, slipped with dark of night through back alleys, and planned things with furious futility.

Center City's finest knew when to make themselves scarce.

Their uniforms stood for everything objectionable at this time, and they might be subjected to clubs, stones, taunts, threats, leers, and knives.

But Center City, like most communities in United North America, had survived the riots before and would survive them again.

On past performances, the damage could be estimated, too.