These nine tales are set in Budayeen, the walled city in the sand, a city of dark shadows and even darker inhabitants, where a Raymond Chandleresque vision has been created--hardboiled, noir, futuristic--but with a twist. The sights, smells, and denizens of Budayeen are brought to life--from the city's sordid, decadent underbelly to the glamorous excesses of the sex industry.

Schrödinger's kitten -- Marîd changes his mind -- Slow, slow burn -- Marîd and the trail of blood -- King of the cyber rifles -- Marîd throws a party -- The world as we know it -- The city on the sand -- The plastic Pasha.