When his wife leaves him for a famous Hollywood actor, a New York lawyer called Lepton Kwaark leaves his job to tour the world interviewing authors of Science Fiction and conspiracy stories. First Lepton goes to Los Angeles to meet a billionaire heiress. Together they go to Alice Springs, Australia, to meet the author of 'The Forest Palms Tales', a critical examination of stories of ET's and UFO's for the sceptical reader. A BALL OF WAX is a fictionalized essay on the Majestic Twelve hoax.