"[A] combination of mystery and science fiction almost reaching the level of Isaac Asimov's classic LIJE BALEy—Daneel Olivaw novels." —CHICAGO SUN TIMES The concluding volume in a series of science-fiction thrillers evolving from the works of Arthur C. Clarke, grandmaster of science fiction and author of 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY. Her code name is Sparta. Her beauty veils a mysterious past and abilities of superhuman dimension—the product of advanced biotechnology. World-renowned professor J.Q.R. Forster's expedition to Jupiter's moon has not proven uneventful. In a furious blaze of ice-geysers, the moon's surface rips off to reveal an ancient alien world-ship. But when the world-ship suddenly hurtles through space toward a black hole, Sparta must find out why, and soon, from a mysterious alien from an unknowable culture, little knowing that what is about to unfold will determine the future of Earth. As the alien ship charts its ancient course, the scheming Sir Randolph Mays and Sparta unwittingly head for their final battle through the eons in the midst of an ancient galactic civil war. This new edition contains revised technical drawings and specifications.