Women live apart from men, sheltering the remains of civilization. They have cut themselves off with walls and by ordinance from marauding males. Waging war is all men are good for. Men are allowed to fight their own barbaric battles...amongst themselves, garrison against garrison. But all the secrets of civilization are strictly the possession of women.

Naturally there are men who want to know what the women know...and when Stavia meets Chernon, the battle of the sexes begins all over again...