Kobo, a 14-year old boy, is the pampered pet of two grobs on the planet Pavin near the center of the Milky Way galaxy whose ancestors were brought to Pavin millennia before and domesticated as pets. Kobo, like other humans on Pavin, is raised largely in isolation from other humans and therefore without language or culture. Soon his grobs acquire a companion for Kobo, a 15-year old girl named Ra. The pair have two babies, both of whom are sold as toddlers to other grobs. When the second is sold, Kobo attacks the male grob with a knife, and he and Ra are separately transported to the planet Loma in the Pavin system where humans work as slaves in the mines. The story follows Kobo and Ra as they learn to communicate, work in the mines and discover a community of humans in hiding from the grobs.

About the Author:

Richard Allen is a lawyer who lives with his wife and their yellow and chocolate Labrador retrievers in Crested Butte, Colorado. A long-time fan, and former teacher, of science and speculative fiction, his love of pets led him to wonder what humans would be like in similar circumstances and to write this book. Allen's other interests include the law–he has argued ten cases in the Supreme Court and taught courses on the Constitution, the Supreme Court and criminal justice–as well as history, playing the guitar and harmonica while his dogs howls along. chess and most other games and outdoor sports of all kinds. This is his first published novel.