This second book of a three book series continues a fantasy very loosely based on the Gilgamesh epic.Question: what's a nice hermaphrodite like Longren doing in a myth like this? Funny you should ask.In fleeing his own mortality, he got himself trapped in a quest for the Tree of Life. Now he's lost in an alternate universe thanks to his friend, a helpful disaster named Flet. Longren's biggest problem has been getting used to the idea that two-person sex could be "normal." Having a boy named Matthew and a young woman named Samantha along for the ride keep him facing the problem. But the little things -- ah, that's what put the camel in traction:-- in this universe, the world is flat, not round.-- the oceans are light years across-- the sky is blue plastic and the stars are screw-in light bulbs.

-- the Aztecs are performing human sacrifices in St. Louis.-- demons are out to get himLongren had been a perfectly content astronomer teaching at the university on Alandra. When his best friend died, Flet showed up and nothing's been quite right since.