[1] The book takes place a number of years after the events of Armada of Antares and the short story Wizard of Scorpio.

When a messenger informs Prescot that the Shanks, a mysterious race of raiders have attacked an island of Valka and he rushes out with a small force to beat them back.

The small force, including Delia and Drak, are trapped in an island village and under attack when Prescot is teleported away by the Star Lords.

Prescot spends the next decades on Earth, getting involved in wars out of boredom and growing every more morose and desperate to return to Kregen.

He studies science and is eventually introduced to a Madam Ivanovna who reveals herself to be connected to Kregen but to be neither a Savanti nor a Star Lord.

He learns that Delia had indeed been there and that the eternal war between the two sides is going badly for the Zairians, with the South holding up at sea but consistently losing the land battles to the Grodnims.

Prescot passes the time from then on in a form of trance, unable to comprehend what was happening until he is freed by his to former oar comrades Nath and Zolta.

They inform him that Delia has returned to Valka, being pregnant, and that she expects Dray to regain his status as Krozair, which the latter accepts as his duty.

He survives a raid by the Grodnim on an army supply camp and gains a new friend in Duhrra the wrestler when he saves the latter, acquiring the alias of Dak in the process.

Unwilling to let the Grodnim have the advantage of flying boats, usually unseen at the Eye of the World, Prescot resolves to destroy this convoy but not after arguing with himself as to whether he should get involved or not.

With the task completed the two companions head for Magdag, encountering Zena Iztar on their way who confirms to Prescot that it was she who assisted him against the Star Lords.