A science fiction novel by Sheri S. Tepper, about the planet Newholme, where there is a mysterious disease that claims the lives of half of all newborn baby girls. As a result, typical gender roles are reversed and the women are the dominant controllers of society. The planet is approaching a conjuction of its six moons which will cause serious seismological problems - and a bigger problem: at the core of the planet lies a mysterious creature who threatens to destroy the entire planet if not assuaged by an elaborate dance by the native people of Newholme - who have forgotten how. The only solution seems to lie in Mouche, a male "Hunk", a consort-for-hire for wealthy women. The book tells the story of Mouche and a cadre of unusual companions as they race against time to save the planet, complicated by the arrival of The Questionner, a cyborg judge who is looking in to the mysterious women's disease, as she suspects it may be an elaborate conspiracy on the part of the local religion. This is only the beginning of Tepper's trademark bizarre plot twists. A weird but interesting book.