Requiem for a Ruler of Worlds

The story follows Hobart Floyt, a minor bureaucrat who inherits a mysterious fortune from a distant empire. With Earth's government in financial turmoil, Floyt is pressured to retrieve the inheritance. To ensure his success, they blackmail Alacrity Fitzhugh, a bold young spacer, into guiding him on a perilous interstellar adventure. The narrative explores themes of power, obligation, and the unpredictability of space travel as the unlikely duo navigates challenges in their quest.