Nathan Brazil is the pilot of the cargo ship Strehekin, bound for Coriolanus with a full load of grain. With him are three passengers: Vardia Diplo 1261, a diplomatic courier from a clone world; Datham Hain, a pig-like man almost certainly up to no good; and Wu Julee, a quiet, oriental girl. While en route to Coriolanus, Brazil discovers that Hain is a sponge merchant, and has used the addictive drug to take control of Wu Julee. Determined to save her, Brazil changes course, and intercepts a distress signal coming from the deserted planet of Dalgonia. He arrives at the planet to find the distress beacon strangely off, although the signal is still being received. On the planet he also finds the remains of a scientific expidition, along with seven corpses, although there are beds for nine. He concludes that the other two might still be on the planet, so after bringing down his passengers, they set out looking for them. At the north pole of the planet they come across two speeders, and signs of a scuffle, including footprints that end in mid-print. Also at the pole there is a large, hexagonal patch of dirt, as opposed to the red soil of Dalgonia. Suddenly it opens up beneath them, and they dissapear. On the other side of this doorway, they meet a large, huimanoid walrus-snake that happens to be an old friend of Brazil's, although he has changed greatly in form since his arrival on the Well World, which is now the current location of Brazil and his passengers. And that is where the real story starts.