The Lantern Mundi is the lantern of the world, holding the secret of the transformations that threaten to overwhelm the City of Kentigern. Archibald meets the stranger Gormson, and both set out for the fabled fortress within which the Lantern is said to reside. Meanwhile, Fionae discovers a mission on behalf of the General who is the mortal rival of the Reverend. All the while, Laurel's puppet dances to a secret music.Other stories: a sinister sepulchre; where no tourist should tread; some enchanted gardens; the black woods of another world; a danger of dreaming; the persistence of baby demons.