Note: Chronologically, the earliest of the Ler Series.

Synopsis: From the back cover of the DAW first edition: "The ler had been genetically created to be a new race of supermen, and the experiment had not been entirely successful> They were superior to normal humans in certain ways, but all too human in others. Grudgingly, suspiciously, the overpopulated billions of Earth allotted the families of the ler a special reservation - a vast wilderness area where they could live their odd lives, contribute their brilliant talents to humanity's desperate needs - and yet be under constant surveillance. For the ler the situation was precarious and their future dubious. And with the disappearance of a ler girl outside the reservation, the explosion point had been reached."