Captives Of The Flame — Samuel R. Delany

The Empire of Toromon had finally declared war. The attacks on its planes had been nothing compared to the final insult - the kidnapping of the Crown Prince. The enemy must be dealt with, and when they were, Toromon would be able to get back on its economic feet. But how would the members of this civilization - one of the few that survived the Great Fire - get beyond the deadly radiation barrier, behind which the enemy lay? And assuming they got beyond the barrier, how would they deal with that enemy - the Lord of the Flames - whose very presence was unknown to the people among whom he lived?