Nightwings

New York: Avon, September 1969. Avon 41467. January 1979 fourth printing with cover art of a nude Avluela by Elizabeth Malczynski. Very Good. Interior unmarked, but tanned. Stress creases and half-inch tear at bottom rear of spine. Mild shelf wear typical of a 40-year-old pulp paperback. Not from a library. No remainder mark. Not clipped. 190 pages. Winner of the 1969 Hugo Award for Best Novella. "Roum is a city built on seven hills. They say it was a capital of man in one of the earlier cycles. I knew nothing of that, for my guild was Watching, not Remembering." For a thousand years, mankind has lived under the threat of invasion from an alien race. After the oceans rose and the continents were reshaped, people divided into guilds: Musicians, Scribes, Merchants, Clowns, and more. The Watchers wander the earth, scouring the skies for signs of enemies from the stars. It was Avluela the Flier's ebony and scarlet wings that led the Watcher to the seven hills of the ancient city. In a moment of weakness, the Watcher failed his vigil, leaving the skies and deep space unguarded. When the Watcher finally sounds the alarm, it's too late; the star people are poised to conquer all. Now, headed for the Holy City--home of the Rememberers, keepers of the past--the Watcher hopes to recapture his youth and find the beautiful woman he loves. But Avluela holds more than love for the Watcher. She knows of the riddle to free all men.