After three eco-catastrophes, the world has reverted to a feudal, agricultural society. After two attempts to assassinate him, the boy, Sal, has found refuge in the Illyrian Monastery. But just when he’s making a new life there, why does the Oracle at Om tell him to go to Shad? Shad is a long, hard voyage. Shad is high mountains, perilous jungles, an odd priesthood and a strange tiger cult. Shad is so off the beaten track it’s almost a myth. No-one from Illyria goes to Shad. And then there’s Tamblyn. Is he a minstrel or an assassin? Why has Tamblyn been stalking Sal? Why is Tamblyn now on a ship bound for the islands where Sal grew up? And why is Tamblyn about to sink his own ship in mid-ocean? If that wasn’t puzzle enough, there’s Tamblyn’s assistant, Dimitrios. Nobody knows much about his past. Dimitrios doesn’t answer questions. Tamblyn is beginning to suspect Dimitrios is more than he seems...Finally, here is the sequel to "Dropping into Darkness" that fans have been waiting for.