IN THE GARNET CAVES

Aton, child of the sun, was condemned to the ruby-dark mines of Chthon - prison planet, underground world, from which there was no escape.  His crime?  He loved a minionette.

These half-legendary creatures were feared and loathed on all the worlds of mankind - but none would say why.

There was no escape from Chthon - neither from Chthon the labrynthine planet, nor from Chthon the superhuman intelligence that penetrated the minds of all who lived there.  But the minionette called, and Aton would respond....

COMBAT IN THE CAVERNS
Arlo is the son of Aton, conqueror and victim of a dreaded Minionette.  Arlo has known no world but the cavern-world.  When war comes to the caverns he is a confused spectator.  Men, women, and other creatures bearing exotic weapons invade.  The women fascipate Arlo - they seem disturbingly familiar to him.  Well they might.

For these beautiful, identical, fiery-haired and smoky-eyed savage warriors are minionettes - figures of terror and dread on all civilized worlds.  And they are his kin.

Arlo's fate is to battle them and the superintelligence of Chthon at once, to work out a destiny shaped by a god more ancient than mankind - the destiny of the galaxy as well as his own.