The piplin trees, long thought extinct, have been found. After years of gentle care, a handful of trees have grown and produced precious seeds. With their ability to purify the swamps, the seeds will make the perfect peace offering between two warring nations.

     But there’s just one problem. The seeds have been stolen by none other than the great Arsene Duko, gentleman thief. With them, he can gain a king’s ransom—and a nice long vacation from thieving. All that’s left to do is meet with his buyer, but he finds he has run into two problems of his own: John and Raytrena.

     John has many problems, most of them caused by Raytrena, who has dragged him into yet another adventure. Tasked with retrieving the stolen seeds should be easy—except they don’t what Arsene Duko looks like. He is a master of disguise, and no one knows his true face.

With time slipping away, John races to find the thief before the seeds are lost forever. John may find that he has more than he bargained for in this adventure, as he stands to lose more than just the seeds. With his life and heart on the line, John must choose which to lose.