Two Stories: The first is one of Ms. Norton's favorite themes, nuclear (though called atomic} war where man has darn near been knocked back to savagery with only a small bunch holding on to some technology that strive to survive. The second is one that is more palatable of Star Lords and their travels through Gates that bring them to alternate realities, in a world that duplicates the one they departed...even to the duplication of their own, but preverted, fellow star lords.