There are few rivalries bitterer than that of siblings, and few more ferocious than that of art. Sébastien and Gabrielle Laronde are the most exquisite expression of fin de siècle Avignon. Artists without compare, they exist in eternal competition vying for the supreme accolade - not the acclaim of their peers, but to be found worthy of their family and its mysterious legacy. In prose as sumptuous and rich as any of the Laronde sculptures and paintings, the twins' simmering resentments weave a sensuous spell about the Vaucluse artworld. Drawn into their orbit, a new muse brings Sébastien the promise of perfection; his prize lies within the shining stone, but whose craft can be its equal?