Rod Garvin, governor of North America and Mars, is supposed to be on vacation, spending time in France with his wife, Flora, and the son he had never met, Felix. But the war leaders of North America have a new assignment for Garvin: find Lani, Imperatrix of North America, and convince her to come out of hiding.

Trailed by assassins, Garvin sets out for the Egypt colony, where the incognito Lani is worshipped as the incarnation of Isis. But Rod Garvin is no longer on his own. Son Felix insists on accompanying him on this mission. Can this new father-son team complete their mission -- or will guards, assassins, and Lani herself prove their undoing?