Sir Giles Tumulty has purchased (or bribed his way into possession of) a mysterious Stone bearing the four sacred letters of the name of God, with apparently supernatural powers. Being of a scientific bent and short on moral scruples, he wants to experiment on it; his associate wants to make money from its power of teleportation. A man from the Persian Embassy identifies it as the stone from the crown of King Suleiman and wants to reclaim it as a holy relic. The stone can be multiplied, and soon there are several, and both civil and international unrest seem to loom. Keeping a cool eye on developments is Lord Arglay, the Lord Chief Justice and his secretary, Chloe, who develops a curious mystical link with the Stone.