From the opening passages, it could easily unfold as a classic noir tale: A rainy night outside a gambling club, Kaddus and Cruizell confront the reluctant but indebted Wrobik with a dead-end deal.
He describes the Culture as a sterile, self-assured communist-bloc utopia, a powerful society with an agenda of hypocritical moral imperialism, backed by Special Circumstances -- "Dirty Tricks in other words."
Almost in the background, the xenophobic VEC is waging "distant wars against aliens, outworlders, subhumans;" civilian deaths going unnoted in the news reports.
Though still a woman in his own mind, since living in the VEC, Wrobik has accepted the identity that society has bestowed upon him: that of a homosexual male, and has found happiness with Maust.
Wrobik attempts to flee the VEC, in order to avoid his task, which would turn him into not only the murderer of a high official, but possibly hundreds of civilians.
Kathryn Cramer and David G. Hartwell note that its protagonist who is coerced into committing mass murder, reminded them of Luke Skywalker and Mohamed Atta.