Clothes dominate this story. First there is Julia’s school uniform in Chrístõ’s videophone call to her, and Camilla’s split dress that leads to the idea of buying an Empathy Suit. This is my way around the eternal problem of how Cam and Camilla fit the same outfit. Camilla can’t keep busting the buttons on Cam’s suit shirts and Cam doesn’t look right in heels. But an Empathy suit with its morphic field that allows it to be any outfit Cam or Camilla chooses is the answer. Of course, it is a totally science fiction idea. But this IS science fiction, and why not?

The amusing attempts to get the outfit looking right, give the idea that this is a light-hearted story. But it is a false start. Later, Cam talks to Chrístõ and Kohb about the serious side to his life. This is a very long piece of exposition that sets up what we need to know about gendermorphs for future reference, particularly about their methods of reproduction.

And then the adventure begins fully. And Cam gets a taste for undercover work as she goes in to find out the truth behind the manufacture of her new outfit.

It is an indictment, of course, of the consumer society, with the rich buying fabulous clothes made by slave labour. The real world is often not so far off the mark, when a lot of clothing and other consumer goods are made in countries with lax labour laws where people, sometimes even children, are paid very badly so that maximum profits can be made. Here, at least, there is relief from the suffering. What surprises Chrístõ, is where the solution comes from. His new role as ambassador opens new avenues. To effect change on this planet he simply has to engage the attention of his fellow diplomats. Slower than his more direct methods, but a way of doing it.