By odd fortune Ludvik has been stuck with a wagon loaded with dwarvish magical gadgets. He many have no skills as a merchant, but knows that he can find ready buyers among the mages in the Needles, if he can get there. While no merchant, Ludvik does seem to have an unusual talent, even if discovering what that talent is eludes him. Bouncing from on exciting escapade to the next, he meets a bizarre assortment of individuals, including a remarkably devious dragon. As his skills are honed and his values increasingly challenged, Ludvik is forced to adapt to his strange world just to survive.