While reviewing his father's now declassified documents and personal papers after his death, Professor Sheridan makes a startling discovery. He applies his renowned method of semiotic detection to discover the true story of his father Bill's service experience while stationed in Bavaria, Germany, one of the most beautiful regions in all of Europe. We are introduced to young Kommissar Roland Rieger, investigating the mysterious death of a physicist who once worked with Wernher von Braun on the V-2 rocket program during the Second World War. As the translator for the Bavarian State Police and Liaison to US military forces stationed in Bavaria, Rieger meets Airman Bill Sheridan and the two will become lifelong friends. Unfortunately, the two men become ensnared in the web of intrigue cast by East German spymaster Markus Wolf, whom we met in Sheridan's "The Adamantine Heart." Wolf has created a new and ingenious plan to gather critical information from West Germany and her allies. In so doing, he has disrupted the delicate balance of power between the two nations. As Dr. Sheridan uncovers the truth in the mysterious details behind the stories told to him by his father, a remarkable story of espionage, mystery, and romance emerges, a story that deeply affects the future course of both West and East Germany