Where had the Empire gone? Once it had ruled the galaxy, linking thousands of worlds ina net of commerce, culture, and law. Then. . .it vanished, leaving only isolated planets sinking into apathy or barbarism. The man called Mass, driven by a dream of rediscovering the Empire, left his brutal homeworld and voyaged among the stars but all he found were tantalizing clues to the lost glory. Then he discovered the space skimmer, one of the miraculous vessels that had made the Empire possible. With it, Mass could find what he sought, could seek allies to help him. . .but only if he finally understood what the space skimmer was--and what it had done.