The eleventh novel in Cherryh's Foreigner space opera series, a
groundbreaking tale of first contact and its consequences...
The civil war among the alien Atevi has ended. Tabini-aiji, powerful
ruler of the Western Association, along with Cajeiri, his son and heir,
has returned to the Bujavid, his seat of power. But factions that remain
loyal to the opposition are still present, and the danger these rebels
pose is far from over.
Bren Cameron, the brilliant human diplomat allied with Tabini, has
graciously chosen to visit Najida, his country estate on the west coast.
He feels that the political tensions in the capital might ease if he is
not present, and after two years in space, he relishes the peace and
tranquility his lovely coastal home affords.
But peace and tranquility are not in the cards for Bren.
Desperate for freedom and adventure, disregarding the obvious danger,
Cajieri, Tabini's young son, escapes the tightly guarded capital with
his bodyguards and arrives to surprise Bren in the country. But he is
not the only surprise guest, for Ilisidi, the aiji-dowager, Tabini's
wily and powerful grandmother, has been dispatched to secure her
great-grandson's safety.
However, Najida, formerly a safe haven, is no longer the sanctuary it
once was. For a neighbor's estate--the ancestral home of Lord Geigi, a
close associate of Bren's--has been left without strong leadership. Lord
Geigi now resides on and runs the atevi space station, and in his
absence, rebel clans have infiltrated his home. When these rebels attack
Bren, Cajieri, and the dowager, they have no choice but to recall Geigi
from space.
With Lord Geigi, Ilisidi, Bren, and Cajieri all under one roof, they
pose an irresistible target for the enemy. And Bren's pastoral retreat,
now swarming with bodyguards, becomes a locked-down and armed fortress.
These four individuals--three of the most powerful politicians on the
planet, and the heir to the aiji--are not without their own resources.
But can they overcome their adversaries and end this guerilla war that
is the last vestige of revolution?
