About 1705, in the Caribbean the great powers compete for control of the riches of the new world, turning a blind eye to illegal activity which might harm their enemies. In distant Britain too, there is conflict between political and religious factions for the crown. In the midst of this near-anarchy, Will King, far from his Dorset home, follows the life of a real pirate but finds that he cannot escape from the forces at work in the wider world - though patterns can be discerned through the chaos.