Mark Maxwell is a young man from Quelhagen a colonial planet nearly as civilized asEarth herself He’s touring the distant fringes of human settlement to complete his educationAmy Bannock was born on the frontier but she’s been raised with as much gentility and culture as the environment permitsYerby Bannock Amy’s brother is a big powerful sort who is always cheeful and most happy when he’s clearing a room in a brawlTogether the three of them are on hand to protect the raw colony of Greenwood from speculators using the courts when they can and using brute force when that’s the only method that worksBrute force is always Yerby’s method of choice but he’s generally willing to listen to Mark and Amy when he figures they have a pointIt s a story that sweeps from sprawling farms to courtrooms from rain-sodden transfer points to luxury hotels Conflict may mean a fistfight a violent kidnapping or tanks rolling down the street side by sideBut underneath the squabbles and skirmishes there’s the threat of a revolution which will pit the colonies against their mother world Earth If revolution comes Mark Amy and Yerby will be in that middle of it tooAnd the revolution is coming!