The time has come for the final confrontation. Appointed supreme magistrate and first minister of Egypt, Pazair and his wife Neferet must join forces against the Finance Minister, Pazair's sworn enemy, who now openly presents himself as spokesman for the conspirators who plan to overthrow Ramses the Great in order to seize supreme power. The situation appears desperate. By undermining the economy and directing it towards the law of profit alone, the conspirators are attempting to destroy the values which form the bedrock of Egyptian civilisation. Determined to make a stand, the tjaty and his wife attempt to loosen the conspirators' stranglehold and identify the murderer of their spiritual master. But allies are few and far between. Where is Pazair's blood brother, Suti, who has escaped from his Nubian prison? After several fruitless attempts, will the mysterious "shadow-eater" succeed in eliminating Pazair? And who is the real leader of the conspiracy, hiding in the shadows? Who will emerge victorious from this fierce power struggle on which the survival of Egypt depends?