Within a dozen light-years of returning to Earth with alien friends, David was hungry for answers. In hindsight, it was clear that, before they were kidnapped, Kindra knew all about the Aquilans, a space-going race of large birds, and their war with the cat-like Pantherans. She knew too much about them and had no fear, yet she had never been off-world before. Even within sight of Earth, she would not admit she used him as bait to attract the Aquilans to Earth. Some part of him was still angry at being used, but if his theory was right, he understood why. This was not Kindra's plan. She was protecting a Koinobi, a parasitic alien hiding on Earth inside a human. It had to be Kindra's boss, Mike. That would explain how Kindra knew so much about the Aquilans, and why it could not reach out to its ancient enemy on its own. It could not risk his refusal or the possibility he would tell their new friends who they were really on their way to meet. David shuddered, remembering that he had shaken hands with the thing. What he could not guess was why a creature that was a king to the Pantherans would want to contact its enemy. Searching the monitor for the first glimpse of Earth, he rehearsed the question he would ask Mike until their progress is stopped by a giant Pantheran warship. If half of what the Aquilans have said is true, David knew the only way the Pantherans will let the ship go is to give them something else to think about. He gave them himself. Once again a prisoner but now alone, he must stay alive long enough to find a way home.