Chapter 1 Summary

"The End." The story begins with the end. Eddie is at Ruby Pier, an amusement park, which has a new ride, Freddy's Free Fall, where he will be killed. Eddie works in a maintenance shop - spreading grease, tightening bolts and performing other mechanical tasks. He hadn't planned to spend his life doing this, but his plans never materialized. He gave up and accepted this as his fate.

Today is Eddie's birthday, but there is no one to celebrate it. He gives a co-worker twenty dollars to spend on his wife on a vacation they are preparing to take. At one time, Ruby Pier was a popular summer retreat with animals, dance contests and fireworks. It has gone into decline because of competition from theme parks.

Eddie's combat service in the war earned him medals and a crippling wound to his leg. The...