A young Victorian German aristocrat, Erik, the black sheep of the family, is disowned by his family. Erik finds himself broke, without family, and with few friends. Lost and looking for a place to belong (and an income), Erik finds himself in the service of the Kaiser. His first mission is to spy on a British luxury liner. He is told know one knows him and his mission should be easy. Not only is he known and followed by spies from England and America, but he is captured in the act of spying. What will become of this young playboy? Will he live long enough to see his thirtieth birthday? Will he spend most of his life rotting in a jail cell on espionage charges? Or, will he be brave enough and lucky enough to survive and die an old man in obscurity? Only time will tell. The story is set at the end of the 19th century.