This story follows a young Conan (still called the Cimmerian during this era) as he pursues a beautiful nymph across a frozen land, making all kinds of enemies along the way.
We call them trouble-shooters. They called 'em Gypsies. Either way, they were hep to that whole bit about.... A futuristic tale of man and technology. A warning about losing your past.
Ezekiel, they say, "saw de wheel"--but he saw somewhat more than that. And Orton suggests that what he saw made perfectly good sense. to the understanding!
It may be that there is a weapon that, from the viewpoint of the one it's used on, is worse than lethal. You might say that death multiplies you by zero; what would multiplication by minus one do?
Through generations the power has descended, now weaker, now stronger. And which way did the power run in the four-year-old in the garden, playing with a pie plate?