This book is out-of-print Aliens, ancient gods, beautiful Valkyries, old-fashioned heroes, conniving nobles, betrayal, greed, incest, a magical gold horde; this story has something for everyone. Fafner, the most notorious criminal in the universe, is stranded on Earth after civilization has been ravaged by disease, war and pollution. He decides to hone his felonious skills by stealing the powerful artifacts developed by another alien, Alberich. But Alberich is determined to regain the artifacts or at least make Fafner pay for stealing them. Alberich's devices, made for the magical Rhinegold, give the user vast powers. The Chip, allows the user to receive information instantaneously from anywhere in the universe. The second device, called the Helm is a beanie-like hat that allows the wearer to see the life lines of every creature in the vicinity. Wotan, god of the Saxons and Vikings, has to recover the Rhinegold in order to prevent his aging. He recognizes the greatly enhanced power of the golden horde, thanks to Alberich's genius. He plans to make a big comeback and regain millions of worshippers. To take the devices away from Fafner, he needs an old-fashioned hero: one who is strong of arm and weak of brain. While these conflicts rage on, Brunnhilde, an ex-Valkyrie, searches for the meaning of true love. Despite a few false starts and some problems such as the wrath of the god Wotan and mean-spirited men, Brunnhilde struggles to understand mortal love while she seeks a good man to try it out on.