"Science fiction at its best!" "Compelling and thought provoking!" - Reader reviews Looking Through Lace As the only woman on the first contact team, xenolinguist Toni Donato expected her assignment on Christmas / Kailazh would be to analyze the secret women's language -- but then the chief linguist begins to sabotage her work. What is behind it? Why do the men and women have separate languages in the first place? What Toni learns turns everything she thought they knew on its head. Beyond the Waters of the World Kislan is a factor in his family's shipping company, a man who has seen many ships arrive at the docks of Edaru from many different cities, who deals with foreign goods from all over the known world. But the ship that arrives from the stars brings more than exotic innovations, it brings ideas that will change his life. And it brings the beautiful ambassador from the stars, Toni Donato.