There are doorways in the world. Fractures in the world between Earth and fourteen other worlds. Places where a few very special people can not just see these other worlds, but travel to them. These people call themselves travellers, and Elrick Moorcroft is one of them. Life as a traveller is good. You can easily make a lot of money by digging up the untapped wealth of the other worlds. You don't have to work. And you can explore the fifteen worlds as much as you want. But there are two things you never want to do. First let any of the governments of Earth know about either the doorways or the travellers. And second disobey any of the rules of the Ellis veri (elves) High Guard. They are less than understanding. But the day that Elrick stepped through from his home in Erislan to the number nine platform of the Wellington Railway Station and came across a dead body he knew that both of those things were likely to happen. When the man had very obviously been killed by a giant predator from another world, a predator that was loose in Wellington, it seemed almost certain. And he knew that one other thing was almost certain. It would all be his fault somehow!