An epic novel of a young avout, Fraa Erasmus, who lives in The Concent of Saunt Edhar, a sanctuary for mathematicians, scientists, and philosophers, protected from the corrupting influences of the outside world. Powerful unseen forces jeopardize the stability of the mathic life and the established ennui of the outside world. The threat must be confronted by an alliance of both worlds. One by one, Erasmus and his colleagues, teachers, and friends are summoned forth from the safety of the concent in hopes of warding off global disaster. Suddenly burdened with a staggering responsibility, Erasmus finds himself a major player in a drama that will determine the future of his world, as he sets out on an odyssey that will carry him to the most dangerous places on his planet, and beyond...