At sixteen, Willie "The Eureka Kid" Jasper shocked the field of theoretical physics with his unified field theory. Shortly thereafter he invented the Inchworm Drive, catapulting humanity to the stars. Labeled a has-been at sixteen, he lingered in a field now dominated by AIs and conceived a theory (competing with his own) that proposed a new particle, the newon, spawned by a unique event.

Newons were abundant in the early universe when unique events were common. But now, 13.7 billion years later, they are exceedingly rare-because unique events are rare. Finding a newon these days is almost impossible.

His colleagues are not impressed. The newon is not needed. It predicts nothing new and explains nothing unknown. In his attempt to avoid the label of has-been, Willie has assured it.

His staunchest critic is Madeline "Abracadabra" Stevens. Ten years his senior, she has served him well as mentor and lover. But this newon theory is too much for her. In a fiery condemnation of human folly in a field taken over by AIs, she quits the field, then quits Willie. She embarks on building pleasure palaces, advocating that the pursuit of pleasure is humanity's last true bastion.

Many years pass. Today is the grand opening of Madeline's 25th pleasure palace. She commissioned a Kulgamooran Masterbuilder to build it. Arriving atop the giant seaspire where it resides, she is shocked to find it incomplete. Then Willie Jasper shows up uninvited. Further complications follow as the day lurches toward mayhem.

544 pages.