Friends Indeed

Stephanie Harrington didn’t discover treecats—they were indigenous to the planet Sphinx, a colony of the tiny Star Kingdom of Manticore. But at age ten she was the first human to bond with one. Now, almost 17, she is the species’ greatest champion. To the rest of the human galaxy, if they are known at all, they are recognized as tool-using, socially organized, fuzzy little creatures, with no known method of communication—who also happen to be fierce hunters. But are they sapient . . . ? Because if they are, that would have all sorts of repercussions for the families who have settled on Sphinx—the Harringtons not the least. There will be winners, and there will be losers. And Stephanie is there to make sure the treecats don’t lose out. But Stephanie, the treecats, and Sphinx itself may be caught up in an even greater conspiracy than the one to help the fighting ‘cats survive, one generations in the making . . .