An ambitious local politician is persuaded by an oligarch to believe that building a spaceport could bring new glory to his city — and perhaps to himself as well. Yet Gabriel von Eisenstein actually has other problems: for improper behavior, he is supposed to begin a prison sentence the very next day.
But why face reality when you can escape it? Following the advice of his friend Dr. Falke, Eisenstein decides to have one last night of fun before reporting to jail — and in doing so walks straight into an intrigue in which more than one “honorable” person stands to lose their good reputation.
