Long ago, the Key of Time, full of extraordinary power, was divided into six parts, now scattered throughout the Universe, so that no one could solely wield its unimaginable power. However, the White Guardian appears, demanding that the Doctor and Romana set out in search of an artifact in time and space. During their search, they find themselves on the planet Zanak, whose inhabitants look happy and rich, representing a new economic miracle. The Doctor begins to suspect something is wrong...To create this novel, James Goss used the first ideas of the author of the script for The Pirate Planet, Douglas Adams, creator of the famous novel The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.