Some ten thousand years ago Earth was visited by beings from another planet in the Barnard's Star system. The Babylonians recorded that beings they called the 'Oannes' were amphibious creatures who came to Earth for the welfare of the human race. The historian Hellandus describes them as having fishlike features but the head, feet and arms of a man. They instructed humans in everything a civilized nation should know. They built a city beneath Antarctica near the Davis Sea and have lived there peacefully and secretly ever since. But now a rogue Dwarf Star called Zarama threatens the very existence of both Earth and the home planet Nazmos. Their mythology predicts that a being from another planet will avert disaster. Enter Ashley Bonner into this scenario. He has been granted 'special gifts' and the Oannes think he may be the predicted one. Can Ashley really prevail against a star a third more massive than the Sun? This is the story of Ashley's development to manhood from age four to seventy and his ultimate sacrifice to save both worlds. -C J Harvey