When violence and illness put a sudden end to Bill Anderson's brief career in space, he found himself stranded on Orion, the homeworld of Talan, the catlike alien who had saved his life. Despite the warm Oriani welcome, Anderson felt lost and lonely among Talan's people. So he made his way to the local spaceport, the only spot on the planet that drew offworld commerce -- alien and human.

At the bustling spaceport, Anderson's talents as a translator got him a job as all-around errand boy to Steven Black, the local underworld kingpin. Anderson enjoyed the intrigue that came with the job. And by the time he realized just how dirty the job was, it was too late. Galactic peace was at stake -- and Anderson was in over his head.

Once again Talan came to Anderson's aid, for Talan had need of his human friend. Between Steven Black and the Oriani, Anderson's life was no longer his own. Especially once he stumbled upon the Oriani's dark secret...