It's August 1547. Scotland, nominally ruled by 4-year-old Queen Mary, is heaving with political intrigue and fears of English invasion. Yet there's time for some delicious gossip. Crawford of Lymond, the notorious rebel, is rumoured to be back in Edinburgh. The city may be technically sealed, but such things never worry 'Lymond'. As usual, he leaves a characteristic trail of hue and cry, vanished contraband - and a drunken sow. Infamous for his ingenuity, Lymond has his own plan, starting with setting fire to his brother's castle and purloining his mother's silver.