Summary

The novel opens with a brief section consisting of several viewpoints as to why robots were created and what purpose they fill in society.

Chapter 1 starts with Sibling Dex wanting to get out of the only city on Panga. Their main reasoning is that they cannot hear crickets anywhere in the city. Dex goes to the “Keeper,” Sister Mara, whose job it is to “oversee” the “monastery” and delegate the monks within it (7). They request a move to the villages, and Mara grants it. A goodbye party is thrown for Dex, during which they question whether this is a good idea.

They set out shortly thereafter and are met by Sister Fern, their contact in the “Half-Moon Hive Monastery,” their new home near the city’s edge (10). They are to live in a double-decker wagon outfitted with a bedroom that looks very comfortable...