The Gods Of The Gift

Collectors are passionate about the things they collect.  There is a legend about a collection that has lit a frenzy among the richest of the rich.  Emperors of galactic civilizations seek out pieces of this collection.  Princes, merchants, interplanetary drug lords all vie for possession of the notorious Puzzle Pieces of The Starwind Communion.  Why are they so valuable that millions of counterfeits float between the stars?

The novel's hero,Garuvel Nep Zimrin, is a seeker after spiritual wisdom. He is on the world R'zelfo when he stumbles upon an unusual duel.  The combatants banter as they fight.  Garuvel doesn't  understand what they're talking about.  He hears hints of an ancient conflict, of murder and genocide. The enemies talk about "Planet-People", implying that they, themselves are such beings.  Their worlds were doomed. The orbits of their home stars had been somehow altered.  In a million years, perhaps less, they would be sucked into the galaxy's black hole.

How could they emigrate?  How to transfer millions of people to nearby star systems hosting viable planets?  A solution was devised:  each world's population would merge themselves into a single being.  They would become Planet-People.   The peoples of one hundred eight worlds would transform themselves into one hundred eight avatars.  Garuvel was witnessing a pivotal drama in the story that was behind the legends of The Starwind Communion.  Each avatar carried its planet's cultural essence in an object.  These objects were the Puzzle Pieces. 

The duelists are named Nutun Utulo and Boraz Bufaisdek.  In reality they are the Planet-People Melolos and Calakadon.  The duel is a trap.  Calakadon will cheat and murder Melolos.  He will take the Puzzle Piece of Melolos and add it to his collection.  His ultimate purpose is to prevent the Puzzle Pieces from being assembled into their whole, their solution.  Something special will happen when the Puzzle is solved.  Calakadon does not want that to happen.  He is the criminal who is responsible for sending the stars of the Communion spinning into the Black Cauldron.  He is enraged that Planet-People emerged as a way to continue the quest to solve The Puzzle Of The Endless Gates.  Now he must murder them again!  He will take their Puzzle Pieces and sell them to dispersed collectors.  He has already thrown several pieces into the Cesspit of Hellbore.  The Puzzle will never be solved!  The deepest mystery of Quantum Physics will never be understood.