Slavery is the corporate foundation of the powerful Pangalic Worlds where Ruiz Aw leads a dangerous double life, as an enforcer for the Art League that so brutally controls its slaves and as an Emancipator dedicated to eradicating the cruel business. After escaping from a herd of slaves, and voyaging across the perilous and magical world of Sook, he and his band of refugees become trapped in a rotting city called SeaStack. The biomechanical city, however, has secrets that no-one can begin to fathom. Ruiz must use his skills to kill for money, and the battle for safety just might be a secret that will challenge the foundations of the universe.