In this, Dermot Somers" second set of short stories, the author explores the intersections of language, legend, and contemporary culture, again overlaid with a sharp sense of physical action. Four longer stories are set against six shorter pieces written throughout the 80"s, and together they reveal the scope of themes, ranging from Fascism in a Soviet satellite state, to a sexual crisis on a Himalayan trip, carnal spirituality on an Atlantic island, and an obsessive quest for the past in the mystic ramshackle of Kathmandu"s Freak Street.