1975. The Secretary of the EEC Commission asks Nick and Rosemary Storey to investigate a discrepancy of nearly 10 million in EEC money used to rationalise coal and steel production in EEC countries. They quickly identify transactions where the Commission has been defrauded and how it was carried out. But the fraudsters seem cautious and cunning, leaving few traces except the involvement of a small man wearing glasses with very thick lenses and a Chinese pistol in the cupboard of a French-Vietnamese woman working in the area of the Commission where the fraud took place and who has since...

1974. Nick and Rosemary Storey are seconded to the EU as national experts in an anti-fraud unit. At an EEC-Soviet conference, a Latvian Customs official seeks EEC help to tackle heroin smuggling from Soviet Central Asia through Riga. After an unsuccessful search in Tilbury, Nick and Rosemary, while visiting Rotterdam Customs, encourage them to search another Soviet ship. After a package of heroin is dropped covertly off the side, surveillance picks up a Turkish immigrant, who leads the authorities to a complicated network of Soviet organisations involved in unofficial heroin smuggling. As...

1966. Recently married, Nick and Rosemary Storey overhear two foreign exchange traders boasting that they can get secret information from Civil Servants about a possible devaluation of the Pound. A squash club/wine bar in the City is supposedly where this information is passed on. But when the two men are found dead in the squash club, leaving a suicide note, Nick and Rosemary smell a rat, especially when it becomes clear that they entered the locked club and killed themselves without leaving any keys. Assuming that the deaths were linked to the men's boasting, they pursue various leads...

1969. Nick Storey is unexpectedly seconded to freight controls at Heathrow Airport. As no-one gives him a straight explanation about why he was chosen, he tries to find out about the sudden sickness of his predecessor. Assuming that something untoward had been going on, he tries to work out whether, and if so, how Customs staff could be helping criminals smuggle goods through the airport. His analysis leads to an abortive operation to trap those involved, but in doing so, he sets himself up as the gang's next target. In order to catch them, he has to offer himself as their unwitting victim...

Briefly seconded to a Purchase Tax office in Londons East End, Nick Storey comes across evidence of a criminal organisation which includes loan-sharking, extortionate insurance and huge rent increases on properties previously owned by West Docklands Council, but offloaded to a dubious property company in suspicious circumstances. Believing the local police and press to be bought off, Rosemary and he track down the councillors involved in the shady deal. But when in the course of his "day job", Nick meets a lawyer who is plainly acutely nervous at seeing him, he realises he has a way to get...

"By Water" follows the exploits of Rakvir Stagarnik following on the events in "Through Fire," as seen by his son Rako and eldest daughter, Asha. Wishing to embellish his capital, Zgar Zavzar manoeuvres to impose an extraordinary levy on his subjects. When Rakvir stands in his way, he attempts to get him killed. But his plot is foiled. However, triumph turns into disaster as Arhilka dies in her sleep. Unable to come to terms with his anguish, Rakvir wishes to die, but knows Arhilka would regard his suicide as dishonourable. So he organises an expedition to explore the uncharted southern seas...

The crew of the "Syarduyar Arhilka" travel south, past contrary currents, giant waterspouts and barren, poisonous lands. Finally reaching an island of plenty, they encounter huge and aggressive serpents, one of which kills a member of the crew. Many more are discovered elsewhere on the island. A storm drives the ship further south to an island with enigmatic objects and inhabitants who have lived in isolation for over a thousand years, pursuing the "Way of Ttavmasi" (a version of Buddhism). The crew remain there for a while to learn and recuperate, while Rakvir Stagarnik and his grandson,...

The crew of the "Syarduyar Arhilka" depart from the island of the Turven, leaving one member behind. After a long journey across desolate seas, they come upon a ruined city which appears to have been where giant serpents ruled over men, as slaves. Travelling north after many weeks, they eventually reach Saldankandul, in Kardakan. Fadshi-qar Wafar wishes to raise an army to attack the giant serpents - or "Qosidar" - on their island to prevent an attack by them. Unconvinced, Rakvir Stagarnik departs. Wafar convinces Saldjaran Manzir and Zgar Zavzar to conduct a campaign, but imperils his...

Ashmara Alahin accompanies a Thanian-Karian expedition across barren, barbarian-infested deserts and desolate, poisonous mountains, before finally arriving at the western coasts of the Old World. There they make a discovery which will change everyone's view of their world. During the gruelling return journey, the expedition's leader dies and barbarians seek to take advantage of the weakness of the travellers. But the return to Thania is problematic for some and when Ashmara returns to the New World with amazing news, for both Rako and her, she is too late to avert tragedy. Unable to discover...