Harry Ross, a now respectable antique dealer, and a former lotus eater pal Aloysious Grant uncover a previously unknown Khmer site - replete with statuary of unsurpassed beauty and value. Unable to resist the chance to make a fast buck, these modern-day musketeers, along with Wit, their long-suffering Thai retainer, swashbuckle their way through a series of daring encounters with elephant-mounted Karen tribesmen, a ring of vengeful, tenacious counterfeiters, and even manage to outwit the Thai army and constabulary. Their exploits are bankrolled by a Mr. fixit - the shadowy Sato, a Japanese with a murky past. A sprinkling of beautiful (and intelligent) women not only satisfy the protagonists' male fantasies, but save the day for them on a number of occasions as the story draws to its unexpected conclusion.