Following his adventures on the world of Heaven, Earl sold his interests in his ship, the Erce, to his shipmates and moved randomly from planet to planet hoping to make it difficult for the Cyclan to trace him. On
Baatz, a world where the atmosphere contained a substance that pacified whoever breathed it, Earl discovered
Melome, an emaciated waif of a girl who possessed the psychic ability to make anyone who was in physical contact with her and heard her song to relive terrifying moments from her past. Earl realized that he could use her talent to remember back to when he was given a fright on the ship he had ridden from Earth – he had been in the captain’s cabin stealing a glance at the log book when he was discovered – and perhaps the coordinates of Earth.
Earl paid Melome’s handler, the crone Kalama, a substantial sum to be able to have a private audience with Melome the next day when she had rested but Kalama that night sold Melome to the circus of Chen Wei and fled on an outgoing ship. Earl contrived to enter the circus of Chen Wei through a circus courtesan, Helga, he had met but when she realized he was only interested in finding Melome she called the guards in a jealous fit and Earl was forced to leave the circus. He snuck back in as a clown and explored the circus finding various performers and side show freaks but not Melome. He was captured with knockout gas when confronted by Reiza, the lion tamer. Reiza, impressed by Earl’s strength and character rescued him from the sump, the waste treatment area under the circus complex where prisoners were kept and later disposed of.
While in Reiza’s quarters, Earl was accosted by the guard Ruval whom he killed. Ruval was an associate of Zucco, the sadistic
ringmaster who had been Reiza’s lover until his desire to inflict pain had sickened her into leaving him. He was introduced to Shakira, the owner of the circus, and they talked of Earl’s interest in finding Melome. Shakira made a contract with Earl that if Earl would work for him, he would allow Earl to visit Melome from time to time to use her talent. He also explained to Earl that he had implanted a device like a slave collar that would prevent his flight.
For a while Earl worked with Valaban caring for the cats. Earl met Melome but the session was not satisfactory. Zucco continued to nurse his resentment of Earl’s taking his place as Reiza’s lover. Reiza took Earl to see the seer Krystyna whose Tarot reading told Earl time was running out. When Earl returned to see her alone she had been poisoned. Sensing he was indeed running out of time he kidnapped Melome and tried to run using a raft. Shakira’s device prevented him from getting far (the raft went in broad circles). He camped with Melome in the wild beyond the circus and when Zucco and Valaban came to collect them and he overcame them. Then, realizing the futility of the situation, he took Melome back to the circus. Shakira met Earl on his return and gently admonished him to keep their bargain. He showed Earl the psychic he had used to gain control over him as he slept when Reiza rescued him from the sump.
Far away on the Cyclan home world, cyber Avro had been restored to himself by the Cyclan’s physicians and though troubled by memories of his irrational time as an “angel” he convinced rival and Cyber Prime
Marle to give him another chance. This Marle did seeing it as wasteful not to make use of him. He informed him however that Earl is on Baatz and that cyber Tron is already well on the way to obtaining him from the Cyclan’s unnamed agents at the circus. Avro was sent after him as a backup.
Reiza, upon hearing that Earl had fled with Melome, was consumed by jealousy and convinced Zucco to duel Earl with knives to the death. Shakira set a wager – if Zucco won he got Reiza (a bit chauvinistic, but) and if Earl won he got unlimited time with Melome. As they fought Earl realized that Zucco was prescient and could anticipate his moves. He tried with some success (and, uncharacteristically with some injury) to put his mind in a destructive and instinctive rage that Zucco could not read. However, Zucco was hit by a tranquilizer dart just as Earl moved in for the kill. Earl killed Zucco when Zucco convulsed on his knife from the dart. Earl disclosed that Valaban was the Cyclan’s agent and had killed Krystyna and Zucco, sometimes using Reiza’s unwitting assistance. Reiza attacked him and was killed. Earl killed Valaban.
Cyber Tron arrived and confronted Shakira and Earl in Shakira’s office. Shakira resisted and Tron shot him destroying the mask by which he hid his mutated face but not killing him. Earl killed Tron and Shakira covered himself again in a spare mask. Shakira let Earl question Melome and Earl remembered the page that he had seen in the log book but it did not include Earth’s coordinates but only the captain’s account of finding Earl stowed away. Earl left to Shakira’s entreaty that he find Earth because “We freaks must have a place to live”.