With the Scottish king David safely under lock and key in London, George Crandall can give his full attention to making Capelburgh secure against the dreaded Black Death. A stone mason and a barber are already on his staff, now he adds an alchemist who can make aqua vitae, a sovereign remedy against infection. First, however, he must deal with a girl who doesn't talk, an invasion of Egyptians, and a black-robed inquisitor. Through two years of fear he keeps his people safe, but disaster falls in a way he least expected. George thought that he was the key to Capelburgh's peace and stability, but it turned out to be a humble, faulty, ignorant and superstitious man who, when he had nothing else to give, gave his life and did not repine.