Publisher's summary
'Do You Believe?'
Something very odd is happening on the cosmopolitan planet of Dellah, home to Bernice Summerfield, famed archaeologist, adventurer, raconteur and barfly. A long-ignored religion is rapidly gaining recruits. The faithful rejoice and talk of their God walking the land once more. And in secret rooms on campus, arcane arts are practised with dangerously successful results.
Behind these seeming absurdities, something far darker is going on, something that has consequences for everyone. The most powerful races of the universe are running scared, withdrawing to their own strongholds, and leaving the lesser races to their fate.
But what can have warped reality in this way? And why? Or has the time of the gods finally come? As Bernice and her friends begin to investigate, they soon realise that in the terrible conflict to come each of them will have to choose sides.
Characters
- Bernice Summerfield
- Benny walks around barefoot for most of the novel.
- Sprains an ankle.
- As a result of a skimmer crash Benny gets a shattered ankle and crushes both her feet.
- Irving Braxiatel
- Has his 'craft' recalled by 'his people'.
- Following a brush with a firing squad Renée Thalia's breasts against his naked chest (he was tied to a post in the open air) makes Irving feel human for a few moments.
- Shemda
- A Grel.
- Renée Thalia
- Flirts with Irving Braxiatel.
- Her breasts make him feel human.
- James Harker
- Priest in the Church of Maa'lon.
- Meets Maa'lon (or something doing a very good impression).
- Goes on a murderous rampage a little later in the novel.
- Thinks about killing Bernice.
- John
- Benny's chain cigarette smoking informant.
- Gets squeezed to death (his eyes pop out) and everything.
- Has two hearts but is not a Time Lord.
- Emile Mars-Smith
- Dies, but makes a demonic pact with an imp. (prior to said death)
- Clarence
- Sweeps in and saves Bernice at the last moment.
- God
- Used Benny's presence on Dellah to keep an eye on the god situation.
- B-Aaron
- Is a Very Aggressive Ship.
- Was a friend of !Ci!ci-tel and WiRgo!xu.
- Is a member of the Apocalyptic Religions Interest Group.
- Sara!qava
- Still lives in iSanti Jeni.
- Is still in male form.
- Still has feelings for Bernice.
References
- Benny befriends Shemda, a member of the Grel.
- The Grel consider Benny a 'fact catalyst' and seek her out to discover what exactly is happening on Dellah.
- A murdering policeman comes from Tyler's Folly.
- The People recall all their agents back to the Worldsphere, as do the Time Lords to Gallifrey (Gallifrey and the Time Lords go unnamed but are vigorously implied).
Notes
to be added