Bradford Ellis believes in progress--and in fixing other people's problems. His latest case study, a poor seamstress named Lucy Beale, resents his meddlesome attempts to improve her life. But when a small, stately ship--the Basset--sails into the harbor, Brad and Lucy must journey together to the Lands of Legend. There, the transformative Chimera challenges their assumptions and awakens their imaginations. In this land where fantasy rules and nothing is as it seems, Brad must learn to respect others' boundaries and Lucy must learn to overcome hers.