Cast adrift from the rest of England, nobody studies the town of Rotherweird or its history. For beneath the enchanting surface lurks a dark secret. Two inquisitive outsiders have arrived: Modern history teacher, Jonah Oblong and the sinister billionaire, Sir Veronal Slickstone. Though driven by conflicting motives, both strive to connect past and present, until they and their allies are drawn into a race against time and each other.