Geneva, 1818.M. Anton Zyli, a Swiss banker, incorrigibly curious, a closet romantic, shackled as heir to the family business by his elder brother's death.

Mrs. Mary Godstone, mother of a two-year-old, almost-widow of a notable poet, an enigmatic Englishwoman, teaching the language for her bread.

William, a very large being of startling aspect, "not born, but made," at the behest of noble and powerful men, but rejected and abandoned almost at his first breath. Unable to go elsewhere, he lurks in the mountains, dependent on Mrs. Godstone and Anton to survive. Now William's chief creator is returning, perhaps to eliminate William, possibly to repeat his "birth." His rank and power are formidable. Even if the three allies could thwart his plans, where could they evade his revenge? Perhaps in South America? But even the fabled waters of the Amazon carry injustice and oppression along with its lethal predators. Is there any safe refuge for William, let alone the woman whose wits and courage Anton may come to love?