The hugo award-winning first novel ever written by the bestselling author of the Chronicles of amber! Conrad Nomikos has a long, rich personal history that he'd rather not talk about. And, as Arts Commissioner, he's been given a job he'd rather not do. Escorting an alien grandee on a guided tour of the shattered remains of Earth is not something he relishes-especially when it is apparent that this places him at the centre of high-level intrigue that has some bearing on the future of Earth itself!