Book IV of Riverworld. After 33 years on the River, Clemens and his crew are finally near the end of their journey in the great iron riverboat Not For Hire, and only one obstacle remains: the evil Earthly king, John Lackland. John is waiting just upriver in the Rex Grandissimus the first riverboat constructed by Sam and stolen by John Lackland. Each are hell-bent on sinking the other and complicating the probable battle is that both boats carry Ethicals, members of the group of advanced beings who created Riverworld for reasons unknown. The battle is set to take place along the shores populated by members of the Church of the Second Chance, a group that believes they must attain ethical perfection in order to proceed to the next phase of existence. The Second Chancers are not violent, but their charismatic leader, La Viro, may attempt to sink one or both of the iron ships in order to prevent the battle. Among the Second Chancers is former Nazi officer Hermann Goring, who has already been more than a nuisance to those on the Quest to find the source of the River…Cover art by Melvyn Grant.