The Hlutr: immensely old, terribly wise...and utterly alien. Long before life crawled from the oceans of Earth, the forest of the Hlutr stood on a million worlds. Their soundless songs filled space, and their mastery of evolution had brought peace to countless planets.

When Mankind went out into the stars, he found the Hlutr waiting for him. Waiting to observe, to converse, to help. Waiting to judge...and, if necessary, to destroy. Humans were savage, uncontrolled, aggressive and unpredictable. Should the Hlutr encourage them -- or exterminate them?