In the fateful year of 1968, Robert E. Howard, age 62, visiting editor L. Sprague de Camp in Phil-adelphia, is inspired by the urban riots to travel to Baltimore and investigate events, having long ago given up writing fiction for travel writing. There, between April 30 and May 5 he writes what will be his final short novel, Last Whiteman, set in Balti-more City in the year 2068.