Synopsis: The crew of the Desiree was unprepared. The Simiu were unexpected... Earth's first contact with an alien race turns to disaster when a friendly encounter erupts into inexplicable violence and the threat of interstellar war. But two young individuals - Mahree Burroughs, an ordinary woman with a gift for friendship, and Dhurrrkk', a male Simiu with boundless curiosity - have forged a bond of understanding that bridges their many differences. Along with a reluctant Robert Gable, brilliant young ship's physician, they make an astounding journey across the stars, to seek a way to save the future of the galaxy! (from the first page of the Ace Books fourth printing)