Bren Cameron, a human living in exile on the island of Mospheira, seeks a new way to develop a deeper understanding between the human community and the society of atevi--two dangerous, intelligent, and possibly incompatible species.

The plight of a man who can see both sides of a problem. He is Ben Cameron of Mospheira, a planet shared by humans and aliens, and he is the only one who speaks both languages. War threatens and as the official go-between Cameron's job is to find a compromise, but how to reconcile people who only talk one language? By the author of Invader.