In the summer of 2626, Lemuel Oneway, refugee from a dying Earth, finds himself on the seemingly idyllic planet of Respite. But all is not as it appears. The more he involves himself in daily life of the land, the more he learns of its corrupt and deeply entrenched plutocracy, which reaches into every institution of the land. Even the priests of Darken and the upholders of the law fall under its evil control.
Oneway didn't intend to get involved in alien politics. He was just trying to survive after his escape from Earth and two centuries of cryonic suspension. When his ship awakens him above Respite his options are few, and the desire for human companionship, which he has avoided for long enough, lures him to the planet's surface.
Oneway tries to blend in with Respite's people as best he can. The last thing he wants is to call attention to himself, but there are some things that he can't accept. Respite's society is built on a foundation of corruption, and an evil that plumbs the depths of human depravity.
Earth had never been like this. But little things nag at Oneway's mind. Was Earth so different? The murder of his own child, long ago and far away, takes on a new and horrifying significance in his mind.
He vows to join forces with a hapless few, determined to bring an end to the suffering of innocents. Yet who is he? Just one man. Not godlike. Not a born leader. And not - dare he even face the thought? - not always as brave as he would wish to be.
About the Author: Ella Swift Arbok hails from the planet of Respite. She was born on February 32, 2972, in Lemon County, Elysium. Her father was famous paleontologist Wellum Mabee, best known for his work with the fossils of the Gos Islands. Arbok's mother, Umbo Arbok, was a brilliant physicist who encouraged her daughter's academic curiosity and future career.
While studying at Barford University, Arbok became fascinated with twenty-seventh-century literary personality Oliver Arkbuckle and was inspired to write. The volumes of her Respite Trilogy were published on Earth after her death in 3080.
Arbok's representative on Earth, SJRichards, was a postal clerk, programmer, and systems analyst based in the United Kingdom. He received his degree in philosophy from Warwick University. Richards is happily married with four children. After spending several years owning his own general store, he retired to write full time.
