Prince Roger MacClintock was an heir to the galaxy's
Throne of Man-and a self-obsessed spoiled young brat . . .
until he and the Royal Marines sent to protect him were
stranded on Marduk with only their feet to get them half
way around the entire planet. So far, they've traversed a
continent, crossed a sea full of ship-eating monsters,
taken over an enemy spaceport, and hijacked a starship.
But they're not home-free yet, because home is no longer
free. In Roger's absence, a palace coup by enemies of the
MacClintock family has seized control of the Empire. His
mother the Empress is a captive in the palace and even in
her own body, drugged so that her will is not her own.
Roger's bother, the heir to the throne, is dead. And Roger
himself has been branded an outlaw and traitor. Roger and
his faithful band of human marines and native alien
warriors have beaten the barbarian planet Marduk. Now they
must re-conquer an interstellar empire. But they aren't
about to give up, and with the help of those on the throne
planet who are still loyal to the Empress they will
infiltrate (under cover of a restaurant specializing in
exotic Mardukan dishes, no less), they will make anyone
who gets in their way (such as local mobsters who make the
mistake of kidnapping Roger's fiancé) very sorry that they
did, and they will not rest until the rightful ruler has
been restored. Once again, a lot of power-hungry people
are going to learn a hard lesson: You do not, ever, mess
with a MacClintock!