It was a lucky chance that delivered the forlorn child Thorby from the slave market of the planet Sargon into the hands of the crippled old beggar Baslim. From the start, Baslim treated him with a humanity and kindness he could scarcely believe, and Thorby soon came to love and revere the wise old man and call him father. In turn, Baslim taught him much more than the art of being a successful beggar: he taught him the value of the human soul, a learning rare in the underworld of Jubulpore and the Nine Worlds. When one day 'Pop' Baslim was 'shortened', Thorby follows Pop's precise instructions to board the Free Trader starship Sisu and finds himself once again adapting to a new life. Adopted into the Family he begins roaming the nine worlds and the Hegemony where Baslim's education would prove invaluable in his quest for his true identity and purpose