A fantasy that begins with Toby in a dungeon, due to be executed for murdering his father, the king. His escape results in a hue and cry, instigated by his step-mother, the Queen. Toby must be caught and executed along with any who assist him. While on the run, he rescues a peasant, Far, and an aristocratic young woman, Orly, both of whom have had their families slaughtered. Class and passion complicate their relationship as they struggle to escape the marauding soldiers. Exhausted and battered, they find sanctuary in the cavern of a magician. There, Toby is told he must go down to the Underworld, via Hell's Chimney, to find the truth of his father's death, while Far and Orly learn the magician's craft in preparation for the battle against the Queen when, and if, Toby returns.