It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.

 

It was the hottest summer on record and the last summer before the war.

 

It was the one time Bernice Summerfield had a use for her otherwise useless boyfriend. But Jason Kane is away on the far side of the galaxy.

 

The Braxiatel Collection has always been an odd place to live. A perfect replica of the Palace of Versailles, stuck on a smallish planetoid, hanging in a much disputed sort of space. The weather's all over the place, the neighbours gathering armaments…

 

And now everyone's s******* like rabbits.

 

Everyone except for Bernice.