Alliances shift with the winds. Ewan O'Meara's new life keeps him busy: marriage to Tree, staying in the Director's good graces, helping his fellow Veridians cope with the Central staff they're protecting from Locust raiders, and searching for proof of the murderous Diamond Lord's human identity-all while the Gem amplifies the mounting unrest from within. But when Ewan and Tree bring a new breed of player to Earth, tensions boil over. As food runs short and mutterings become mutiny, Ewan promises the long-lost sun to restore the peace. But with every step forward, another Central quietly turns to the Diamond Lord's cause. With every overcast day, the Locusts draw nearer. Now Ewan must battle for the Centre's future, fighting an enemy he can't see in an arena he doesn't understand. Can he and his allies secure a place for everyone on Earth by accomplishing a miracle? Or will the Diamond Lord strike them down, as an emissary of unforgiving reality?