The explosive finale towards the Ringworld and the Fleet of Worlds series

For decades, the spacefaring species of known space have battled over the largest artifact-and grandest prize-in the galaxy: the all-but-limitless resources and technology from the Ringworld. Today, without warning, the Ringworld has vanished, abandoning three rival war fleets.

Something must justify the blood and treasure which have been spent. If the dropped civilization of the Ringworld can no longer be despoiled of its secrets, the puppeteers will be forced to surrender theirs-everyone knows they are cowards. However the crises converging upon the trillion puppeteers from the Fleet of Worlds move far beyond even the onrushing armadas.

Adventurer Louis Wu and the exiled puppeteer known just while Hindmost, marooned together for greater than a 10 years, escaped in the Ringworld before it disappeared. And throughout those years, as he analyzed Ringworld technology, Hindmost has plotted to reclaim his power.

Some way, the fabled puppeteer race may have come to the finish of its days.