Commodore Ardcasl and his reptile associates, Elor and Erol, have come to this world high above the galactic plane in search of ancient artifacts. As spacetraders, these three deal in ancient art and ideas. Anything else is too bulky to pay its way across the vast distances between the stars. This remote planet holds promise. Here a long-ago clash may have produced the turmoil and doubt that, expressed in ancient art, still holds great interest for other worlds where questions concerning their own values have never ceased. Once two races fought here for dominance. One, a rare indigenous race of humanoids, the other, more recent colonists from the distant galaxy. The remnants of both races still live here, their pasts largely forgotten except as myth and legend repeated in children's tales. To unravel the secrets of that past and uncover the treasures hidden here, our heros' must become archaeologists and ethnographers. In addition, the twins hope to test a theory that planets do not evolve sentience haphazardly. They may do it on purpose. As a guide they hire Ohan, a native forest dweller who inadvertently purchases Leahn, a bitter young woman descended from the colonists. She was sold into slavery by her uncle. She promises to serve Ohan as bodyguard and demonstrates her prowess by decapitating a former customer.