Beset by pirates, Knights of Malta, and saboteurs, Captain Matthew Quinton sails to Africa in pursuit of a mountain of gold. When a captured Barbary pirate saves his neck with a tall tale of a fabled mountain of gold, Quinton has his doubts. But King Charles II can't resist the chance to outstrip the Dutch with a limitless source of wealth. With the devious pirate O'Dwyer in tow, Quinton embarks on a voyage beyond the map's edge, still convinced that the mountain is mere legend. But as attempts to sabotage his mission draw closer to the mark, he begins to wonder. Back in England, the king has arranged a wedding between Matthew's elder brother, the Earl of Ravensden, and a mysterious lady rumored to have murdered her previous two husbands. Resolved not to fail his meddlesome sovereign, and to return home in time to protect his family and his home, Captain Quinton approaches the coast of Africa with a troubled mind.