In Book 3, Huddled Masses, reporter Pete Riley discovers the existence of both the aliens and the vampires but that knowledge may cost him his life. The aliens face the prospect of turning from invaders to refugees but will the Earth perceive them as victims or villains? New arrivals among the Hyperions initiate a conflict between church and state in the aliens' society, while newcomers to the mansion include an Ancient vampire older than the Earth itself, and an Elder hiding a deadly secret.