To Choke An Ocean

On the rain-soaked world of Niobe, a weary consul general begins a dry, unsettling tale: how a petty banquet joke became the seed of an interstellar crisis. As Arthur Lanceford recounts the diplomatic dinner that first brought Niobe into the Confederation, a simple plate of Terran oysters in hot sauce turns from insult to triumph when the Niobians find the dish delicious, sealing an agreement that seems to promise prosperity, goodwill, and an exotic new export of anti-aging extract. But the victory is poisoned by irony. Biologist Heinz Bergdorf soon discovers the oysters are multiplying unchecked in Niobe's shallow seas, threatening to overrun the planet's marine life within decades. What follows is a witty, high-stakes ecological chase through mud-choked islands, territorial leases, and subsonic alien defenses, as Lanceford and Bergdorf try to trace the source of the infestation and find a solution. Their search leads to Kron, a thoughtful Niobian councilor, whose patient wisdom contrasts sharply with human urgency. Together they confront not only a biological disaster, but also the bureaucratic and cultural misunderstandings that could turn a bad joke into catastrophe. This edition has been fully restored with modern typesetting, custom cover design.