Tormented by nightmares of Majipoor being wracked by storms and earthquakes, Lord Valentine believes these are signs of war between his people and the shapeshifters who once ruled the planet. For centuries, they plotted to reclaim their stolen planet. Since Valentine's rise to power, a policy of agreement and reconciliation has caused many of the courtiers to question his true motives and loyalty and allowed them to remove the lord from his leadership duties, electing him to a higher position. and the ceremonial office of pontiff. But if Valentine takes up the mantle of pontiff and cedes his post to a future successor, he will be remembered as a leader who shirked his responsibilities and destroyed the peace that had reigned for eight thousand years...