The Chinese campaign of 2023 lasted some twenty years and led to the depopulation of urban centers throughout the United States. The civil war that followed led to a schism between the eastern and western states. Now, as July 4, 2079, approaches, Bruce Nukhulls, a government psychology expert, flies from Washington, D.C., to San Francisco on a mission of the utmost urgency. On this day, Alphonse Sterling, known to his many admirers as the Great Houdini, will perform his greatest feat ever in Union Square. As millions of frenzied fans watch on their television sets, Sterling will pass through a mass of molten silver without being harmed. For Sterling, it will be his finest trick. for Nukhulls, it will provide an opportunity to stage the political coup of the age.