Europe, on the eve of the year 1666. These are fearful times, the year of the apocalypse is approaching. Amidst the unrest, the antiquarian and curiosities dealer Baldassare is doing good business, especially with a mysterious book that comes into his possession. However, it is only after he has sold it that he realizes the true significance of the book. He is determined to get it back and embarks on an adventurous quest: through Tripoli to Smyrna and Constantinople, to Genoa, Lisbon, and London, where a devastating fire indeed seems to herald the end of the world...