Synopsis: From the front flap of the Putnam first edition: "Lumbaga was not the galaxy's most desirable planet. The inhabitants were virtually immortal, hopelessly eccentric, conglomerations of free-living organs whose sole hobby was mayhem, individual or in groups. But even the most obscure chunk of galactic real estate attracts its quota of rival overlords, and Lumbaga, unpromising as it seemed, was a bone of contention between Terra and Groac. Of course it was the Groaci who first resorted to dirty pool, interfering with the inalienable rights of Lumbagan organs to combine with whom they chose, and so creating a class of Super-Lumbagans which greatly disturbed the balance of power. How Retief, most ingenious and conniving of Terran diplomats, sets out to foil the machinations of the Groaci with a reprehensible combination of cunning, opportunism and sheer skulduggery, makes up a story which combines outrageous high comedy with vivid excitement in Keith Laumer's most entertaining Retief novel to date."