The wandering monk of the Church of St. Abel Bran Dinard finds himself in the distant country of Behren, lost among the hot deserts, the fabulous homeland of the noble and warlike people of Jesta Tu. Here he comprehends the mystical secrets of the southern sages contained in the Holy Book, and meets the dark-skinned beauty Sen Vi, who agrees to become his wife. Dinard returns home with his young wife, but a lot has changed here in ten years. Love and kindness in this world are powerless against betrayal and treachery. Evil here submits only to even greater evil. And the one who goes out to fight this evil is the one who pays for cruelty with cruelty, and for good with good.