Sex, drugs, and the West that never was. In a novel at once raucously funny and deeply philosophical, author Gordon Basichis explores one man's continuing search to unlock life's elusive mysteries. Setting out for the Far West after the Civil War, young Shelby Lopez encounters Indian mystic Thunderbird Hawkins. With the help of his marijuana, peyote, and "magic mushrooms," the Indian teaches Shelby of the Great Necklace and the Great Book, which when brought together, lead on to wisdom and an understanding of man's destiny. The history of the Great Necklace and the Great Book stretches from the conquistadors to river gamblers, and finally to the frontier town of Star City. But even as mystic and disciple prepare to join the two sacred objects, they realize that they are not yet meant to be brought together, and that they themselves must return to their lives as The Constant Travellers. Humor, insight, violence and passion combine in this brilliant thought provoking narrative to create an unforgettable story. While set in the Old West, the novel assumes a modern idiom and is as contemporary as the hip scene of today.