In this second volume of the two-volume fifth novel of the series, Hogar’s friend Wolf, who went renegade so as to keep his ship from being confiscated by unscrupulous financial manipulators, runs out of parts to sell to rock-hopper captains. In desperation, Wolf raids Barton, a grasping Gaean supplier. Having discovered that Barton possesses a supply of Gaeanite, Wolf abducts Lesley, Barton’s niece, intending to trade his hostage for the priceless mineral. To Wolf’s intense chagrin, Barton refuses to pay the ransom.
