A century earlier, the Markovians were the meanest, nastiest, orneriest specimens in the entire Council of Galactic Associates. The worlds in their corner of their galaxy controlled a military force that outweighed anything the Council could possibly bring to bear against them.

With complete disregard for interplanetary order they harassed and attacked peaceful shipping and inoffensive cultures throughout a wide territory. For years the Council debated and threatened - but nothing was ever done. Then, so gradually it was hardly noticed, the harassments began to die down. The warlike posturing was abandoned by the Markovians. Within a period of about seventy or eighty years there was a complete about-face.

What had happened? Cameron and his new wife Joyce are going into unfriendly regions to find out...