Motif · Book 8, A Parade of Horribles

The Skull Empire

One of the oldest and largest Syndicate governments, orcish, mawkish, and — through Prince Maestro's show and his boast that his family's Skull Clan has won six of the last ten Faction Wars — the first outside power to take a personal dislike to Carl. King Rust is in Earth orbit by the end of the book.

Segment appearances

• Chapter 88 — Interlude: Quasar; the eleventh floor — twenty-three crawlers; Chaco's parade
• Epilogue — Epilogue: Sydnee Iglacia, Prime Minister Victory, Louis Santiago 2

Progression

It shelters Harry Tisch and his stock (ch. 88); it swallows the Prism's holdings and triples Sydnee Iglacia's rent (epilogue).