Cover Text of Cuckoo's Egg

His name was known throughout the world: Duun, hero, whose scarred face and body represented a dire threat narrowly averted; Duun, hatani, one of those superbly trained individuals revered by all the shonunin as mystic, warrior, guardian and judge. Out of respect and tradition they would refuse him nothing. But in this case, even the few longtime acquaintances who might have been considered friends -- if hatani permitted themselves to form friendships -- would have prefereed to grant almost any other request. Still, they gave him the infant to raise as he wished, and he took the child far away from civilization to Sheon, where he had spent his own childhood.

Duun called the boy Thorn, forcing himself to overcome his natural repugnance for the tiny creature's strange, hairless body - like something freshly skinned; the alien ears and hands and eyes that brought back so many disturbing, painful memories.

(...)

Thorn grew strong under Duun's careful guidance. At first his education was as basic as any child's. He would run after Duun on short baby legs until, exhausted, he could run no farther.... As years passed the training intensified. The boy learned of weapons and the suffering they could inflict; he learned to hunt, when the alternative was to go hungry; he learned mathematics; and he learned to endure, because Duun would not let him give up. Above all, he learned to be always alert and wary...never to trust anything or anyone. Not even Duun himself.