Nathaniel Drake, a neo-Terran spaceship captain, is on a quest for redemption through hate, not love, as he searches for a woman named Annabelle Leigh. His journey begins when he encounters a mysterious girl, Annabelle, who stows away on his ship, seeking passage to Iago Iago to witness a prophesied resurrection. Despite her offer of payment, Drake refuses, fearing the loss of his pilot's license. He locks her in the storeroom, but when his ship passes through a Lambda-Xi field, it becomes translucent, and Annabelle is lost to space. Haunted by guilt, Drake's ghostly appearance causes fear and curiosity wherever he goes. He visits Forget Me Not, his birthplace, and Azure, Annabelle's home, seeking to discredit her sainthood to ease his conscience. He learns of her past as a stripper named Mary Legs on Worldwellost, where she sought to escape her fears and find a balance between good and evil. Drake's journey takes him to Iago Iago, where he discovers that he is expected as a saint. He learns that part of him and his ship were transmitted into the past due to a warp seepage, and he must fulfill his destiny by walking the Potomac as a giant, emulating the Emancipator's ghost. He returns to the present, rescues Annabelle from the storeroom, and sets course for Iago Iago, where they can find peace together.
By Robert F. Young · First published 1970 · Genre: Science Fiction, Fantasy, Horror