Two sisters on the run: the elder chased by the younger, both pursued by their mother. But when this mother is the Empress of Ghana and one of the most powerful people in the world, it is no ordinary chase. And life has changed in the mid twenty second century. The aether is a telepathic cyberspace. Biochips augment human brains. AI's, concepts, even symbols can be dangerous... Mnada is heir to the Ghanaian throne, yet something has been done to her brain that has made her insane, something to send her fleeing north across jungle and desert towards the mysterious place called Muezzinland. Nshalla is relegated to the status of puppet, ignored, yet also part of her mother's plan; she follows her sister's flight, determined to discover the truth behind Muezzinland. Gmoulaye is a tribal woman, herbalist, fighter, woman of aether lore; she is the faithful companion forced to question her identity as the chase continues. And the Empress herself, possessing the most modern technology with which to recapture her daughters - androids, morphic tools, orbital stations, all powered by a ruthless will. But not even she can predict what might happen should the family be reunited, least of all if it is inside Muezzinland...