A child of Mars, Najib has a wanderer’s heart, and ventures to Psyche for work. But he finds factory life on the asteroid intolerable, and escapes to Callisto. When the arrivals officer misspells his name, Najib takes the opportunity to reinvent himself. Najib ends up finding love, but also encounters both sides of Callisto’s underbelly—a crooked governor and an honorable crook who, when Najib tells him of his dream of seeing Earth, advises him that “in order to go east, you should head west.” There is no direct route to Earth for an off-worlder with a questionable past, so Najib again reinvents himself, becoming a respected bio-archeologist despite the interference of his manipulative boss. A chance meeting with a street philosopher ultimately changes Najib’s life and keeps him on track. His trek to Earth continues to be circuitous, introducing him to several more people who will ultimately have a profound effect on Najib. But it seems that his wayward past is starting to catch up with him. Will Najib be punished for his deceptions? Or will the experience and wisdom he’s gathered in his travels lead him to an unexpected conclusion?

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