In this world things are almost like they are with us. Cars run, airplanes fly, man is wolf to man, and politicians treat ordinary people’s lives as change. Although no—there are differences. There’s magic here. And, as it happened, I already know how to use it. Not a black belt, of course—but I don’t feel like a pawn in geopolitical chess anymore. Correction—I didn’t feel like it. Until the prince gave me an assignment: go to China and bring back a fugitive subject. Who would doubt that everything would go wrong?