Foppish young Filidor Vesh is a wastrel ne'er-do-well content with his shallow amusements. Now, a simple errand for his uncle, the vaguely all-powerful Archon of Old Earth, sends Filidor on a frenetic odyssey across a planet speckled with eccentric nations. Harried at every step by the irascible dwarf Gaskarth and frequently in peril from wildbeasts, unfriendly mobs, and a sinister thaumaturge who shows an unusually enthusiastic interest in his luggage, Filidor makes his reluctant pilgrim's progress.
Awaiting him at journey's end is an encounter with an ancient -- and possibly apocalyptic -- evil.
