In 1973 James's seventeen-year-old sister, Maria, disappeared while on her way home from school. Over thirty years later her remains are uncovered outside Broken Hill, 1,200 kilometers from her home.

Maria's disappearance shattered her family and had strange repercussions for her ten-year-old brother, who was left to cope alone while his parents struggled to deal with his sister's disappearance. With her discovery after so long, Maria becomes real for James, a sudden violent death in the family, and he sets out to try to discover what his sister was really like and what happened to her....

Orlando, Count of Madelaine, Consort of the Emperor, and cokeeper of the keys to the Gates of Time, begins his story on a day when he lived as a count in a French chateau on Earth. A future Earth, much of which is a living museum, as is his region of Madelaine. His life is perfect, he is naturally promiscuous, and so are most residents of Madelaine.

Then, in this perfect society, a young woman is found dead-murdered. And it's Count Orlando's job to determine how she died and who was responsible. The decisions Orlando makes when he finally discovers the truth will force him to leave...