Rag (Paperback)

Rag is a boy on the edge of manhood, whose future is uncertain. Living in a walled city surrounded by hostile forest on the moonless world or Soros-Quintaskeron, all boys must prove themselves hunter-warriors or become societies' servants. In a few days Rag must face his 'trial' - to enter a gladiatorial arena and defeat one of the five mega-beasts that live out there beyond the wall. Rag is deadly with his catapult, bursting with confidence and with eagerness to be called a man. So, when an alien trade delegation arrives and his trial must be postponed, his frustrations start to boil over. The consequences of his subsequent actions are life changing. Rather than accept the new life before him, Rag seeks asylum with a mysterious visiting alien. As he enters exile, hoping one day to return home, he learns that the trade delegation was not what they appeared to be. The resulting new reality for his home world is too terrible to contemplate. And now Rag, for the sake of his people, for all people, must face a trial far more real and dangerous than he could ever have imagined. The need to prove himself is the fire that fuels his actions and governs his choices, but simply proving himself a man will not be enough.