The Wells of Phyre

The Xarafeille Stream -- a thousand stars, a thousand planets where generations of arbiters have kept peace among the seven races of mankind. Now John Minder XXVII, Arbiter, has discovered the theft of seven ancient datablocks that hold the key to his power. He must find them before the stars erupt in interplanetary war.

Phyre -- a desert planet, home to several races of humankind, whose conflict seethes just below the surface. Slith Wrasselty is a fard, gene-engineered to thrive in Phyre's harsh dryness -- and as the youngest son of his clan's ruler, he must make his own way in life. A talented chemist, he distills medicines from mineral springs that well up from the desert sands.

The two men are very different, but each has something the other wants, and neither will hesitate to do what it takes to get it.

$4.00

Stepwater

John Minder XXIII is an Arbiter.  Like his ancestors for 12,000 years his words decide the fate of worlds. But seven ancient datablocks that hold the keys to his power - the location of his enforcer fleet and his secret military planet - are missing. He must find them before the Xarafeille Stream stars erupt in interplanetary war.

Barc Doresh is a bors, a stocky, black-furred man with several genes from the bears of forgotten Earth. The otterlike mantees who share his world have dammed the Hammad River, and Barc's underground hometown will soon flood. But Barc has been banished for his unnatural desire for a female of a race not his own - a terrible perversion - and is in no position to resolve anything.

Girelf is a mantee, first in line to become ruler of her throng - she is (perhaps) as fond of Barc as he is of her, but everyone has an agenda, and neither the bors nor her own throngmother are going to like hers.

As the valley floods, and mantee territory expands at the expense of bors property, only the Arbiter can resolve the conflict - but he'll want something in return, perhaps more than either bors or mantees will be willing to pay.

$4.00

Glaice

For 12,000 years Arbiters have kept the peace among the seven races of mankind. But the ancient datablocks that hold the secrets of Arbiter John Minder XXIII's starfleet and the homeworld of his Poletzai troopers are missing. Now has only his ordinary human cleverness to keep the peace among the planets of the Xarafeille Stream.

For almost 12,000 years Tep Inutkak's Ikut ancestors, white-furred men adapted to high arctic life, have migrated from pole to pole in a never ending two-year cycle, but now mantees -- seal-like humans who occupy the equatorial islands -- claim they are the owners of planet Glaice, and they threaten the ikuts' vital migration routes. Rogue ikuts respond by feasting upon roasted mantees.

Tep, a graduate student, believes the Planetary Charter will show that Ikuts were the first settlers, and are the rightful owners. But where is the Charter? The Arbiter will not help unless it can be found (and also, a copy of an old data module he believes is on Glaice.) Amid escalating violence, Tep must probe deep into his planet's past and his race's ancient graves for the ikuts salvation --and the mantees' and the Arbiter's as well.

$4.00