Agreements with the kibs and the only surviving taikun give Sergei Belov many new opportunities, but at the same time the risks are growing dramatically. Every day he is drawn deeper into a tangled tangle of intrigues of aristocrats of the post-apocalyptic world that has developed on Earth after the Alien War. Sergei is forced to hide his true plans from all participants in this cruel game. Even from those who are already or still can become his friends.