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"The natives of Petaybee claimed their planet was sentient, but the officials of Intergal did not believe them. While it was obvious that the icy planet had undergone some recent turmoil-early thaw, violent volcanic and seismic activity-a little research would surely find some clear explanation, such as side effects of incomplete and faulty terraforming. Certainly nothing mystical, like a world with a mind of its own. What was more, the planet was rich in valuable ore, and now that someone had figured out how to find and mine that ore, nothing would stop Intergal from stripping the planet-alive or not. Yanaba Maddock's short-lived career as a company spy had ended the moment the planet and its people had adopted her as one of their own. Now she was dedicated to keeping Intergal from exploiting and wounding-or even killing-the world she had come to love. As an ex-company soldier who had extensive experience with the bureaucracy, she felt most qualified to be the Petaybeans' spokesperson. And she even had an ally within Intergal itself: Dr. Whittaker Fiske, the scientist responsible for terraforming the planet. But that wasn't enough. Others were determined to prove that claims of planetary sentience were mere superstitious nonsense, developed by a primitive culture coping with a harsh, forbidding environment. And Dr. Fiske's own son wanted that ore-and didn't care what he had to do to get it. Only solid evidence would convince the company to leave the planet alone, and for all its sentience, Petaybee's communications were highly subjective; indeed, some outsiders seemed entirely immune to its voice. So Yana and her friends would have to find some other way to prove that the planet was worth more to the company alive than dead..."--BOOK JACKET.