The attempt to actually pull off this act of sabotage is interrupted by a surprise attack and the revelation that a mole is in the machine. As if the caper at the casino and the kidnapping of Alys weren’t enough to keep him busy, Kaz reveals that his plans to sabotage Van Eck’s sugar silos by making an investment in them only to unleash a chemical weevil in them to artificially sweeten the selling price. However, some super-powerful Shu warriors suddenly descend to attack Jesper and Nina who manage to get away with a talent for arson and some crackerjack shooting themselves. Having successfully pulled off the kidnapping of Van Eck’s wife, things continue going their way when the trade for Inej seems to be going smoothly as well. While they manage to get away relatively unscathed, Kaz meets with Colm to request a three-day extension to round up the money he needs to pay off his son’s debts.

It is while Jesper and Wylan are on their way to meet up with Jesper’s father that they are the victims of a surprise ambush. Into this thicket of intrigue arrives Colm Fahey, Jesper’s dad, with the intent of paying off debts owned by his son. The caper takes on an added dimension when Kaz concludes that it would be worthwhile to abduct Van Eck’s wife as a bargaining chip to negotiate the release of the equally abducted Inej Ghafa. Meanwhile, Kaz Brekker and Wylan Van Eck are taking the more dangerous road of rifling through Jan Van Eck’s office. Jesper Fahey and Nina Zenik take the high road of distracting Cornelis Smeet. Club Cumulus is more than a place to gamble for money, it is a place to gamble with lives and destinies. What follows is only slightly less confusing than the plot of Ocean’s Thirteen as a bunch of characters that will utterly bewilder anyone not already familiar with the series descends upon the plot in full force. The author chooses to let the reader munch on that information for a while as the narrative really kicks into high gear in a small-time casino of sorts with the enigmatic name of Club Cumulus. Emil Retvenko is a Grisha who is abducted by a mysterious Shu man. What occurs in this prefatory section is not quite clear as it is taking place and may still not be crystal clear for some readers even by the end. To begin with, there is a Prologue before the official beginning of the story.

The story commences amid a swirling tornado of confusion. Written by Timothy Sexton and other people who wish to remain anonymous

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The crooked kingdom series