Synopsis: From the back cover of the Signet first edition: "The Greatest Show on Earth - or anywhere! Thaddeus Flint knew Carny game better than anyone. He could con the marks till they practically begged him to take their money. But suddenly he was losing business as everyone flocked to a new traveling circus. All it took was one look at their sideshow, and Flint knew the reason why - their "freaks" were the real thing, no makeup, padding, or phony scales here. From finding the treasure to stealing it for himself was one of the easiest cons Flint had ever pulled off. Yet he soon found that his new star attractions were much more than he'd bargained for. Not only weren't they phonies, they weren't human "freaks", either - they were honest-to-goodness aliens from worlds all over the galaxy! But why were they here? Were they the advance guard of a massive invasion? Should Flint turn them over to the authorities, blackmail them into being his money-making slaves, or risk the whole Earth as the stake in the biggest con game in the universe?"