John Lyon, Kansas City Historian, is again vaulted through a time-space tunnel to Bandworld, an artificially constructed planet where he has become Mage of Stilde-grain.
Bandworld, a planet built as an experiment in cultural development, John Fears the Founders will destroy their project when learning that John has contaminated it with his "advanced world's" ideas.
John learns that a "progress report" is about to take place with the hatching of a bionic messenger bird. He fears the Founders will destroy what the bird will report to be "corrupted research."
Can John find a way to stop this "betrayer bird?" And if so, can John also avoid the usual chaos, political intrigue, treachery, and traps set by his enemies?
With the odds against him, can John and his Bandworld love flee once more, to the safety of Planet Earth?