Everything turned out absurd and terrifying. A chain of cruel murders and terror attacks could lead inquisitor Mackinby to the leaders of a conspiracy. But there is no conspiracy as such—only a struggle for power. Instead of a revolution, there will be a coup. Instead of a Federation, a controlled chaos. Instead of a New World, a civil war. As Della Berg promised: you’ve been fooled. All of you. On the line are the lives of millions and the fates of billions of people. If you’re willing to answer for them—organize your own conspiracy.
Invite a fugitive Eldorado dictator and his sworn enemy; star princes and generals; dissidents and counterintelligence; unlucky religious figures who had their totalitarian sect taken from their hands and sold to the new owner. A good company. On hand—real Indians, a brilliant programmer, and a retired satanist.
Become state criminals. Otherwise it can’t be done. Conscience won’t let you.
It’s hard to understand who is friend and who is enemy. Hard to understand who the next target will be. And somewhere a Russian saboteur is roaming: he seems to be “with us,” but he has family troubles and a bad mood.