A group of time travelers finds themselves in Mesopotamia in the third millennium BC. The country lies in ruins after the fall of the mighty Akkadian Empire. Local residents blame the Gutian tribes, who usurped power, for the devastation and poverty of their region. The temple healer asks the heroes to find her sister's daughter, who has gone in search of the kidnapped priestess. The main character sees in her dream a mysterious woman drowned in the river. Traces of events lead to Adab, where the invaders established their capital. The ruler of the kingdom of Lagash, it seems, resorted to cunning for the well-being of his possessions. The purpose of the main characters' journey is not what they initially thought about.