Palace

A Novel of the Pinch

Vi-Kata, the deadliest assasin in the Pinch, has been hired to murder two seemingly unconnected humans in the Pleasure Sect. Vida, an unmarked girl living in an up-market brothel, The Close, and Arno, heir to the head of the Cyberguild – overseers of the virtual reality computer network, the Map.

But as Vi-Kata attempts to fulfil his contract, his task is about to become more difficult, For Arno, the most talented of the Cyberguild apprentices, has dropped out of the guild and disappeared. And if the secret of Vida's heritage proves to be true, the current First Citizen, Karlo Peronida, could find her very useful. His plans would put her out of Vi-Kata's reach behind the secure walls of the Centre Sect.

And on the Map, Arno's cousin, Rico, comes across a powerful and appalling entity that is obliterating large areas of the network. Who or what lies behind this is unclear, but if it continues the consequences are too horrifying to imagine...