In a far-flung future, planoforming ships knit together a galaxy ruled from Earth by the ruthless benevolence of the mysterious Lords of the Instrumentality, who presided over a utopia Without death, danger - or freedom. The Underpeople, humanlike beings created from animals to do the work of utopia, had no rights, and could be disposed of at the whim of a human. But their Leader, the cat woman C'Mell, had a plan for gaining their freedom - which made her much too dangerous to be permitted to live. Elsewhere in the galaxy, the planet Norstrilia was the only source of stroon, the drug which made humans immortal, and its inhabitants were consequently wealthy beyond comprehension. One of them, a boy named Rod McBan, had manipulated the galactic economy until he completely owned the planet Earth - which made him much too dangerous to be permitted to live. But when Rod came to Earth and joined forces with C'Mell and the Underpeople, the monolithic utopia of the Instrumentality began to crumble as freedom was reborn in the galaxy...
- ISBN10 1416520953
- ISBN13 9781416520955
- Publish Date 28 November 2006
- Publish Status Out of Stock
- Publish Country US
- Imprint Baen Books
- Format Hardcover
- Pages 480
- Language English