Regina van Frassen - what a gift of fate! – was born a telepath. At the age of six, the child first learned the sweetness of power - and the bitterness of prohibitions. At twelve she was introduced to terror and violence. At sixteen - with rivalry and lies. Yes, the cosmic world of the Ecumene values its mentals as a desperate rarity, but a force field will not protect you from the cold winds of reality. Dance on the hills, child with the flute! Childhood is over, and we must move on - into youth, full of new surprises. The new novel by G. L. Oldie again opens to us the galactic expanses of the Oikumene, already known to the reader from the adventures of Luciano Borgotta, director of the Vertep Theater.