Hook must sink into obscurity to escape the vengeance of the Boosted Men searching him out among the stars. He finds such a place of security in Star City.

Orbiting a relatively primitive planet, Star City is a mighty complex housing many thousands of humanoids devoted entirely to the pursuit of pleasure. Hook enjoys many pleasant days there.

Gradually it punctures his consciousness that all is not as friendly and gentle as it appears, and that pleasure seems eternally to be based on someone else's pain.