ISBN 0-812-55798-0 (US pbk),,, 0-812-55799-9 (Canadian pbk)

"If you had to be conquered by aliens from outer space, you could do worse than be conquered by the Khosali. They had a great deal of practice at it, and except for insisting on their Imperial System and the hereditary aristocracy that goes with it, the Khosali didn't make many demands on their subject species. In fact, Humans and Khosali got along quite well for centuries... or so it seemed. The real situation became clearer when, in a sudden strike, humanity rose up in the Great Rebellion and became the first species to successfully remove themselves from the rule of the Emperor.

"Drake Maijstral (Baron Drago, Viscount Sing, Duke of Dornier, Prince-Bishop of Nana, Hereditary Captain-General of the Green Legion, etc.) is, of course, a thief. After all, what is a dispossessed aristocrat supposed to do for a living? But Drake steals with style, and is very successful: his ratings are high, and his fans include the right people on both sides of the Khosali-Human border.

"Unfortunately, Drake Maijstral is about to be commissioned to obtain an object that altogether too many people want possession of..." [jacket blurb, US pbk, 1987]

"High Custom allowed a person to steal for a living, provided he followed certain rules.... Most importantly, an Allowed Burglar had to practice his craft with style, with grace, with savoir faire. Style counted a full ten points in the ratings, and no wonder. Allowed Burglars were supposed to be a part of High Custom, and if they didn't fit well with the rest of the wayward elements, what was the point in allowing them to take other people's property in the first place?

"Drake Maijstral's target, the artifact he was after, gleamed in silver solitude in a niche by the fireplace, a souvenir of the Rebellion. Maijstral saw the Imperial seal -- the scrolled N for Nnis CVI interwoven with the skuhl vines of the Pendjalli, ideographs for 'good luck' and 'happiness' all encircled by the figure of the Zoot Torque -- and realized that he was looking at something looted from the Imperial precincts themselves.

"Interesting.

"Very Interesting". --Walter Jon Williams (excerpt from the book).