A ghost story set between the death of the English king, Henry 8th, and the coronation of his daughter Mary Tudor. Religious and political persecution run rampant as the country swings between the Catholic and Anglican religious reform. Henry's son, Edward, states on his young deathbed that the crown, and country, should pass lawfully toward protestant Lady Jane Grey but the Catholics push for Henry's daughter, Mary, to take the throne regardless of his decree.
While the intrigue plays out the story sees Mary attend the burning of the witch Morgan; much against her guardian's wishes. Something happens there that changes the would be queen forever.
After consulting the catholic church, the barber surgeon and, lastly, the Anglican bishop to no avail, Lord Norfolk, Mary's guardian, sets off to find a strange man said to be an alchemist. He previously was condemned as a pagan heretic and the man went into hiding, Norfolk has strange luck which eventually leads him to the man.
There follows a series of events which perplex and mystify the guardian and ultimately forces him to reject everything he ever believed about God and religion.
