Aramovsky has his war—his Birthday Children army has marched to the crescent-shaped clearing to take on what he thinks is a small force of Springers, but he has no idea he’s actually outnumbered over a hundred to one. Technology may prove the deciding factor, though—Borjigin has repaired several machines of war, and Aramovsky has dozens of powerful beam weapons he acquired from Matilda. It’s going to be a bloodbath all around, unless Em can stop it. She, Gaston, Spingate and Bishop are in the shuttle with Barkah, the Springer prince, and Lahfah, racing to the clearing to try and head off a battle that could kill thousands.