The book depicts the arrival of members of an alien species called the Fithp that have traveled to our solar system from Alpha Centauri in a large spacecraft. The aliens are intent on taking over the Earth.Physically, the Fithp resemble man-sized, quadrupedal elephants with multiple trunks. They possess more advanced technology than humans, but have developed none of it themselves. In the distant past on their planet, another species was dominant, with the Fithp existing as animals, perhaps even as pets. This predecessor species badly damaged the environment, rendering themselves and many other species extinct, but left behind their knowledge inscribed on large stone cubes (called Thuktunthp, plural of Thuktun in the Fithp language), from which the Fithp have gained their technology. The study of Thuktun is the only science the Fithp possess. The Fithp are armed with a technology that is superior rather than incomprehensible: laser cannon, projectile rifles, controlled meteorite strikes to bombard surface targets, lightcraft surface-to-orbit shuttles the size of warships, etc.Nominated for Hugo and Locus awards in 1986.
Linda Crichton Gillespie, a Washington debutante
Jeanette Crichton, her sister
Dr. Richard Owen, astronomer
Dr. Mary Alie Mouton, astronomer
Major General Edmund Gillespie, USAF astronaut
David Coffey, President of the United States
Mrs. Jeanne Coffey, First Lady
The Honorable Wesley T. Dawson, a Congressman from California
Mrs. Carlotta Trujillo Dawson, his wife
Roger Brooks, Special Assignments Reporter, Washington Post
James Frantza, White House Chief of Staff
Henry Morton, Vice President
Dr. Arthur Hart, Secretary of State
Hap Aylesworth, Special Assistant to the President for Political Affairs
Ted Griffin, Secretary of Defense
Admiral Thorwald Carrell, National Security Advisor
Peter McCleve, Attorney General
Tim Rosenthal, Secretary of the Treasury
Connie Fuller, Secretary of Commerce
Arnold Riggs, Secretary of Agriculture
Jack Clybourne, Presidential Protection Unit, Secret Service
Academician Pavel Aleksandrovich Bondarev, Director, Lenin Institute
Lorena Polinova, his secretary and mistress
Marina Nikolayevna Bondarev, his wife
Boris Ogarkov, Party Secretary at the Institute
Andrei Pyatigorskiy, Assistant Director, Lenin Institute
General Nikolai Nikolayevich Narovchatov, Party Third Secretary, later
Party First Secretary
Chairman Anatoliy Vladimirovich Petrovskiy, Chairman of the Supreme
Soviet
Ilya Trusova, Chairman of the KGB
Dmitri Parfenovich Grushin, KGB officer
Marshal Leonid Edmundovich Shavyrin, Marshal of the Long Range Strategic
Rocket Forces
Harry Reddington, unemployed minstrel
Jeri Wilson, Senior Editor, Harris Wickes Press
Melissa Wilson, her daughter
William Adolphos Shakes
Kevin Shakes
Miranda Shakes
Isadore and Clara Leiber
George and Vicki Tate-Evans
Jack and Harriet McCauley
Martin Carnell, Show-dog breeder
Ken Dutton, Bookstore manager
Cora Donaldson
Sarge Harris, friends of Ken Dutton
Patsy Clevenger
Anthony Graves
Maximilian Rohrs, general contractor, Bellingham
Evelyn Rohrs, former Washington socialite
Ben Lafferty, Sheriff Whatcom County, Washington
Leigh Young, Deputy Sheriff
Whitey Lowenthal, welder
Carol North, citizens of Lauren, Kansas
Rosalee Neill
Colonel Arvid Pavlovich Rogachev, Commander of Kosmograd
Nikolai, onetime Sergeant, Red Air Force
Allana Aleksandrovna Tutsikova, Deputy Commander
Dr. Giselle Beaumont, French scientist
The Honorable Giorge N’Bruhna, Nigerian politician
Captain John Greeley, USAFU astronaut
Herdmaster Pastempeh-keph
Advisor Fathisteh-tulk
K’turfookeph, the Herdmaster’s mate
Chowpeentulk, Advisor’s mate
Fookerteh, the Herdmaster’s son
Attackmaster Koothfektil-rnsp
Defensemaster Tantarent-fid
Breaker-Two Takpusseh (later Takpusseh-yamp)
Breaker-One Raztupisp-minz
Fistareth-thuktun, priest and historian
Koolpooleh, male assistant to Fistarteh-thuktun
Paykurtank, female assistant to Fistarteh-thuktun
Octuple leader Pretheeteh-damh
Tashayamp, female assistant to Takpusseh (later his mate)
Octuple Leader Chintithpit-mang, sleeper
Shreshleemang, Chintithpit-mang’s mate
Eight-cubed Leader Harpanet
Eight-cubed Leader Siplistepth
Rashinggith, warrior (Year Zero Fithp)
Birithart-yamp, warrior in Africa
Pheegorun, warrior in Africa, died by spear
Thiparteth-fuft, guard officer
Sergeant Ben Mailey, U.S. Army
Sherry Atkinson
Robert and Virginia Anson
Wade and Jane Curtis
Bob Burnham
Lieutenant General Harvey Toland, U.S. Army
The Honorable Joe Dayton, Speaker of the House
Senator Alexander Haswell, President Pro Temps of the Senate
Senator Raymond Carr, Senator from Kansas
Nat Reynolds
Joe Ransom
John Woodward
Carrie Woodward, prisoners
Alice MeLennon
Gary Capehart
Ensign Jeff Franklin
Hamilton Gamble
Dr. Arthur Grace
“Tiny” Pelz, crewman
Michael Jason Daniels
Samuel Cohen
Roy Cuber, shuttle pilots
Jay Hadley
Commander Anton Villars, Captain, USNS Ethan Allen
Colonel Julius Carter, U.S. Special Forces
Lieutenant Jack Carruthers, U.S. Special Forces
Lieutenant Ivan Semeyusov, Soviet Expeditionary Force
Brant Chisholm, South African farmer
Katje Chisholm, his wife
Mvubi, Zulu warrior
Niklaus Van Der Stel, Afrikaner Commando
Juana Trujillo Morgan, wife of Major Morgan
Lieutenant Colonel Joe Halverson
Major David Morgan, Kansas National Guard
Captain Evan
Corporal Jimmy Lewis
Captain George Mason
Where are they?
Within its broad array of nested rings, the planet was a seething storm. It had always been so. Patterns chased themselves across its brown-on-brown face in bands and curlicues. The space around it churned with activity: billions of icy particles in a broad array of nested rings; eights of moons; streamers of dust whipped by powerful magnetic fields; all whirling around at terrific velocities, at several makasrupkithp per breath. Message Bearer maneuvered within that storm.
