One day, the Thieves' Mentor came to Chain's father, the Eyeless Priest of the Pereladro Temple, to get rid of the obnoxious boy Locke Lamora. After all, Lamora, although a born thief, was truly unbearable, and for his exceptional talents the city-state of Camorr - cut through by dozens of canals, spread out on many islands under the shadow of the gigantic glass towers of the Ancients - could be cramped. Over the years, Locke and his Noble Canals get away with a lot, including violating the Secret Agreement that regulates the entire life of the Camorra's good people, but then the Gray King appears behind the scenes of the criminal community - a ruthless, invisible and invulnerable killer - making his own adjustments to another brilliant scam Locke...