While the world of the atevi fragments into two antagonistic political camps. eight-year-old Cajeiri, the heir of Tabini-aiji--and the first atevi to have an understanding of the humans--becomes a target for those who oppose his father's rule.

"The beyond started with the Stations orbiting the stars nearest Earth. The Great Circle the interstellar freighters traveled was long, but not unmanageable, and the early Stations were emotionally and politically dependent on Mother Earth. The Earth Company which ran this immense operation reaped incalculable profits and influenced the affairs of nations. Then came Pell, the first station centered around a newly discovered living planet. The discovery...