Still trapped on the strange world of Zirith, Anya remains chained and is now compelled to work on a desert sandship as one of the women pushing the spokes of wheels on deck, driving the massive gears that connect to the huge wheels below. Worse, in the heat of the desert sun, as a punishment for trying to escape she is forced to wear a steel helmet covering her whole head, except for a tiny grille that could be opened to allow her to eat or drink.

Would she remain as a work-slave for the rest of her life, which might not be very long under these conditions? Although told that her husband was alive and here, somewhere, what hope did she have of finding him?