Dirty Fred, the lost battleship's infamous captain, shows a different side in this novel: the side of a soft hearted father, who does everything he can to help his son, into the royal seat. We also meet Smiley Jimmy, who, although an old adversary of Dirty Fred's, this time as a writer and as a substitute successor prince, plays into the hands of Dirty Fred, although he is only looking for his favourite shell-handled knife, which he always leaves in someone by accident.