Cally, their resourceful 16-year-old daughter has followed her parents to Egypt and narrowly escapes drowning when her ship is sunk. She is befriended by young Lieutenant Rick Holman, a battle-fatigued survivor of the trenches in France. Following a terrifying ordeal when lost in the desert, Lea is reunited with her husband, only to be taken prisoner with him. On the eve of a crucial battle, Lea and a wounded Michael desperately try to prevent the impending slaughter of thousands of Allied soldiers. This is a satisfying adventure story with characters already met in the novel Dragon Wind Rising.