For short-lived Quick races like humans, space is dominated by the complicated, grandiose Mercatoria, whose rule is both military and religious. To the Dwellers who may live billions of years, the galaxy consists of their gas-giant planets--the rest is debris. Our human hero Fassin Taak is a "Slow Seeer" privileged to work with the Dwellers of the gas-giant Nasqueron in his home system Ulubis. His life work is rummaging for data in their vast, disorganized memories and libraries. Unfortunately, without knowing it, he comes to an ancient secret of unimaginable importance.