In Venice during the autumn of 1973, the characters of Captain Detterling, Fielding Gray, and Mr. and Mrs. Stern take part in a meeting of the International PEN Club.

The group meets Max de Freville and Stratis "Lyki" Lykiadopolous, who are about to open a casino in the city.

Piero, who has become friends with Daniel, makes a trip with him to a monastery on the island of San Francesco del Deserto.

Meanwhile, Lyki and Max have troubles with rich Arabs who play with high stakes in their casino, which means the partners need more money at hand.

With Tom and Piero, Fielding heads to the place where FitzAvon is buried and meets Jude Holbrook, who lives in the area with his mother.

With the help of Holbrook, the company finds a living male descendant, an little boy named Paolo Filavoni.

Many people from Daniel's life (and characters from the novel sequence in general) attend: Robert Constable, Jacquiz Helmut, Balbo Blakeney, soldiers Chead and Bunce, journalist Alfie Schroeder, and Mond's old nemesis Earl Restarick.