The return of a classic science fiction novel by Hugo and Nebula award-winning author and editor Gardner Dozois! Hundreds of years in the future, Earthmen have moved out into the galaxy of inhabited worlds, but only through the gift of advanced technology from alien interstellar traders. Earthmen do not dominate among inhabited worlds, as many races are older and wiser - in fact, space travellers from Earth are second-class citizens or worse on most of the planets they visit. Joseph Farber, an artist, is part of the uncomfortable and decadent Earth colony among the alien Cian on the planet Weinunnach. As with many earthling spacefarers, Farber suffers a decline in spirits when faced with the utter difference of aline cultures, yet he is deeply moved by the rituals of the Cian - and by Liraun, a humanoid Cian, with whom he falls in love. And though love between races is forbidden, he allows himself to be genetically altered so that he and Liraun may marry and interbreed. But the couple soon discovers that the fundamental differences between their races and cultures prevent adequate communication between them. This lack of communication leads to a powerful climax of tragedy and revelation.