In a world on the brink of destruction, there is no safe place to run. Book Two in an epic of astonishing originality by one of the most imaginative voices in science fiction. The once stable world of Pangaea is coming apart....Mysterious earthshocks convulse the land, and even the Imperium's caste system begins to crack. The dreams that have pacified millions are changing, contaminated by portents of doom. For Pangaea's once benevolent tyranny has turned to torture to preserve its authority. Now the Imperium targets its gravest enemies: the daring erotician whose talent as an orbcaster empowers her to keep a wealth of secrets; the "impure" outlaw who finds herself undergoing an inexplicable transformation; and the gifted aetherist who finally sees the truth after years shackled by the Imperium sharemind. To succeed in finding a new life beyond the grip of the Imperium, they must know when to fight and when to run. But even if they throw off their oppressors, the destruction of Pangaea has already begun....