Gilbert Langton, respected linguist and trusted negotiator, has been selected to mediate the interests of Japan and Germany in an ambitious deal masterminded to lift the Russian Republic out from under the threat of famine and bloodshed. But conflict in the Middle East is on the brink of explosion, and the repercussions of international power-plays ensnare Langton in an impassable web of profit motives, mob involvement, and hidden agendas.