Hoping to tame the Great Rift that divided the Galaxy in two, the Archimagos Belisarius Cole invites representatives of the forge worlds from all over the Empire to the man-made world of Pontus-Avernes, confident that he will be able to convince delegates of his genius. He needs to enlist their help in unlocking the secrets of the pylon network — cyclopean structures built by an ancient race — that he believes could prevent the warp from pulling. Among those present, however, there was an uninvited guest: Fabius Bayle himself .. Pater Mutatis does not need recognition of his talents, and he has his own plans. The implementation of his plans will lead to an epic confrontation of the greatest scientific minds of the Galaxy - from which only one can emerge victorious.