In what is essentially a continuation of Haven of
Darkness, Earl, having come to planet Zakym and befriended Lady Lavinia
Belamosk received the lands of her defeated (and deceased) foe Gydapen Prabang and become Lavinia’s husband. Several months passed, Earl enduring the daily visit of ghosts of his past, during the “delusia,” until the meeting day of the aristocratic planetary Council. Immediately, Councilman Alcorus announced that deposed Gydapen had a son that they now all thought ought to inherit the land they had just given Earl. Earl, resigned to their xenophobia, agreed to sell the land and take one quarter its value in cash. He realized they could probably never raise the amount anyway. Pleased at having avoided a conflict and having at least superficially taken steps to isolate the outsider, Earl, the Council leapt at his offer. Earl suspected Gydapen had an off-world accomplice still be interested in conquest.
On far away planet Ilyard, mercenary Kars Gartok befriended and exchanged information with an elderly monk of the Church of Universal Brotherhood, Brother Eldon, who later was found murdered. Drinking in a tavern with other mercenaries, Kars came across the strange story of Earl and his exploits against Gydapen and his evil mercenary minion Gnais on Zakym. Kars investigated further and found that one of the procurers of mercenaries on Ilyard, Charl Embris, had been involved in Gydapen’s plot as Earl had suspected. Charl had had Gydapen’s real son by an off-world liason killed and then Charl’s son, Tomir, assumed his identity. Charl’s wife, Othurine, felt remorse for this and fear for her son sent on such a mission and confessed to Brother Eldon. For that, Charl had Eldon murdered. Kars obtained an audience with Charl and convinced him to have Kars have his son’s back to avoid tipping off other mercenary bands of a lucrative opportunity. So, Kars signed up to work for Charl on Zakym.
Earl spent several days photographing his and Lavinia’s lands from an anti-grav raft to prepare for the coming conflict. One day while flying and surveying, they were accosted by Councilman Alcorus’ son Jait who brought a summons from the Council challenging Earl’s Council membership and arguing he had been awarded lands and title but not a Council seat. Realizing resistance was futile, Earl left the Council asking Lavinia to do what she could. Councilman Suchong argued that since Earl would sell his land anyway, a Council seat for him, though a deserved honor, was unnecessary. Earl visited Hausi trader Jmambota inquiring wistfully about starship passage and through whom he asked introduction to shifty trader Mbom Chelhar, ostensibly to arrange off-world sale of Lavinia’s horses.
Meanwhile, Cyber Ardoch on Ningsia near the rift received a report of the discovery at nearby Fralde of the wrecked free-trader starship,
Sleethan, Earl had ridden to Zakym, and a survivor, engineer Fatshan. Questioning the dying Fatshan, Ardoch could work out that Earl was alive on Zakym.
The condescendingly charming Chelhar was an assassin. Returning from his visit to
Belamosk, he challenged Earl to a horserace and, once apart from the others, tried to kill Earl, dying himself in the attempt. Shortly thereafter, Kars Gartok arrived on Zakym and belatedly warned Earl of Chelhar’s plans. Kars had always planned to betray Charl and Tomir and avenge Brother Eldon. He offered his services to Earl and Lavinia. Earl accepted. Alone with Earl, Lavinia told him she was pregnant with his child.
Earl and Kars trained Lavinia’s retainers and developed defensive strategy. Tomir soon attacked and Earl’s forces, skilfully sniping from the rough terrain, disabled his anti-grav raft crews forcing his retreat. Kars captured and interrogated one of Tomir’s mercenaries to learn their location. Earl and Kars used an armoured anti-grav raft at night, braving the attacks of the Sungari wasps, only to find Tomir’s camp recently deserted.
Returning to Belamosk, Earl’s forces were soon attacked again by Tomir’s forces. Tomir, an as yet untried commander, could not afford the ignominy of a protracted campaign against a peasant army. Earl learned from Kars that Ardoch was supporting Tomir, and, realizing the danger, resolved to ask the Sungari for help. Entering a cave he had discovered them to frequent, he went to met the Sungari – a hive creature – millions of independent insect-like organisms with a shared compound telepathic consciousness – they caused the delusia – and offered them a new Pact. He would have Lavinia arrange off-world trade for them in return for their destroying Tomir and Ardoch. They let him see Ardoch kill Tomir. Returning to Belamosk, Earl found Ardoch had kidnapped Lavinia promising to release her unharmed if Earl surrendered to him. Earl claimed, falsely, to have come to capture Ardoch for the bounty Charl would pay for Tomir’s killer. In the resulting confusion, the Sungari established telepathic rapport with Ardoch and destroyed him, thus completing their bargain with Earl. Earl, saddened, left for the spaceport before Lavinia recovered, knowing that because of the Cybers, he was forever an unacceptable danger to her and their unborn child.