Deported from his own planet in a galactic war, Troy Horay was permitted to hire out as a daily laborer on Korwar, where he had been relocated. Temporary work in a strange interplanetary pet shop led Troy to the realization that with certain animals, he could hold wordless communication.

Why were these animals being brought to Korwar?

(from the book's 1st page)

Who was the controlling agent they feared and hated?

The night on which the pet-shop owner was killed, a few of the pieces in the puzzle fell into place. Just enough to involve Troy personally, and force his escape to a dead underground city and a bidder freedom that challenged time itself and the plans of mighty planetary rulers.