The Hostage of Zir

One of the several and too few "Z" books set on the planet of Krishna, the Hostage of Zir introduces Fergus Reith, the "hero" as such of several subsequent Krishnan books, a stand-in Tour Guide for the Magic Carpet Travel Agency wrastled into leading a simple tour guide on the planet. The first tour group. Easy enough.By the end of the book Reith is torn between completing the task and boiling the members of the group in hot oil, and that illustrates the travails these mild, ordinary people put him through with their zany and constant antics. From such simple feats as insulting locals and risking a lynch mob to such exotic fare as getting kidnapped in a power ploy, they provide non-stop hair pulling entertainment.Not the least bit the local natives are slightly green skinned and have feathery tufts from their eyebrows. And prove to be quiet "human" despite those differences!