Pages 1 through 25 Summary

When he was younger, Leo talked with more clarity. In those earlier times, things seemed more clear to him. But through the fog of time and drugs, one can lose focus and memories die. But as he tells his story, he promises those who read it to speak with as much clarity as possible about a part of his life and about the subterraneans. Leo starts with a little explanation of the subterraneans. Julien Alexander is the angel of the subterraneans. The name was invented by Adam Moorad, a poet and a friend, who described the subterraneans as intelligent, intellectual and hip.

Leo first saw Mardou Fox at night as he came down the hill on Montgomery Street in San Francisco to meet his friends. She was leaning against the bumper of a car in front of the Black Mask Bar...