"On the ocean planet No-Moon, Second-Best Sailor contentedly lives the life of a mariner plying his trade with visiting space-dwelling Neanderthals. When his reefwife discovers that a mission fleet has targeted their homeworld for conversion, his comfortable lifestyle vanishes in an instant. " "Servant-of-Unity XIV Samuel has cheerfully devoted his life to the grand wonder that is Cosmic Unity, and all he desires is to help spread its message of universal harmony to a grateful galaxy. But Samuel's awe turns to horror when he uncovers Cosmic Unity's darkest truth. " "At its core, Cosmic Unity is a lovely, seductively gentle religion stating that all creatures - whether born of flesh, silicon, superconducting gases, or magnetic plasma - are equal and deserve tolerance. Yet over 22,500 years and spread by a vast hierarchy, the simple concept has mutated into a malignant and violent memeplex - heretics will not be tolerated. " "Bereft of faith and rebelling against the Ecclesiarchs, Samuel is shattered and confused when he stumbles upon Second-Best Sailor, fleeing from his threatened home to a potential new habitat. Flung together by fate and supported by the Neanderthals' host of traders, Second-Best Sailor and Samuel plot a kamikaze plan to fight off the invaders. Along the way, they will need the help of the unlikeliest and most fascinating of allies. " "But can they bring down an idea that has destroyed everything across tens of thousands of light-years? "--Jacket.