The stunning conclusion to The Engineer Trilogy. Condemned to death, the engineer Ziani Vaatzes escaped from Mezentia. His determination to return home led him to contrive a plan to bring down the Republic, a plan which required a war. He regrets the deaths but had no choice. Duke Valens dragged his people into the war to save the life of one woman. Now the Duke regrets what he's done. Secretary Psellus never wanted to rule the Republic. Trying to make sense of how it all happened, he finds himself compelled to investigate the circumstances of Vaatzes" crime.