New York: St Martin's, (1979) dj. Hardcover first edition - Wold's first novel. "Larson McCade, wandering grandson of a nameless refugee, has come to the decadent planet of Seltique, culturally isolated from the rest of the galaxy after its bid for political mastery two thousand years ago. He claims to be researching a pro-galaxy group known as The Core, but he is actually looking for The Book of Aradka, a non-human artifact that could make him a wealthy man for the rest of his life." 230 pp. ISBN: 0-312613989.