Somebody is trying to kill the Emperor. Kean d’Angelo, a beggar-boy who never before gave murder a second thought, is plunged into the middle of a conspiracy when he finds the body of an Imperial Prince at his feet. With a ruthless assassin hot on his trail, Kean must unravel the conspiracy before his enemies find him - but with a whole Empire of suspects to choose from, Kean may be hard-pressed to discover the all-important truth.