Charged with a crime he didn't commit, Chip flees his homeland. Under the alias of William Chips, he finds himself again in the services of Captain O'Toole and aboard the mighty Ottoman. Embarking on a new and dangerous voyage, they set course for the tense shores of the British Colonies.
To his dismay, Chip soon discovers that he cannot run from his troubles. That the darkness he sought to escape knows no boundaries, nor is held to any shore, and remains as close as looking over his shoulder.