The planet Aleph is overcrowded, its rulers inbred and decadent. The planet Gimel is smaller, totalitarian and just as over populated. They both want Virrona. Which means that an interstellar war is brewing.The Federation would like to send an experienced diplomat to defuse the situation threatening the Omicron Galaxy. But that's not possible. The one Federation man on the spot is Simon Rack ...The enemy leaders try to ignore him. They try to threaten him. They try to bribe him. Finally they try to kill him. But Simon Rack is a professional.And he's hard to kill...