James Thompson is on the hunt for buried treasure. He is determined to see his search through to the end, despite what it may cost him. During the political turmoil that precedes the American Civil War, he is fascinated by the life of the Austrian revolutionary, George Fisher, who was involved in the independence movements of Mexico, Texas and California. James' further interest in Masonic legend drives him as a writer to delve deeply into murky waters. Learning of the legendary treasure said to have been stolen from Napoleon and buried somewhere in Louisiana by the pirate-patriot Jean Lafitte, James is impelled to follow the trail. He returns to his hometown, hired as a tutor for the niece of Fisher's first wife on their vast plantation home perched above the Mississippi River. This southern matriarch as well as her niece and the homestead itself prove to be full of secrets and revelations. But James' welcome into plantation society is quickly cut short by the recklessness of his character, a trait, he learns, which also may have contributed to the disappearance long ago of the woman he once loved. Dismissed from his post at the plantation, James continues his research and his controversial behavior, calculated, as it turns out, to uncover the important clues he seeks. But is he searching for timeless mysteries, secrets of the modern age, or for his own heart? Perhaps he himself does not know. Finding himself alienated from almost everyone, James continues to follow the trail of Jean Lafitte, acquiring help and an unlikely set of companions along the way. What secret did Lafitte steal when he intercepted Napoleon on the high seas, fleeing from Waterloo? And why did Lafitte suddenly disappear? More importantly, what is the treasure and where is it now? The clues point to mysterious objects found in the tomb of the Savior and in a monastery on Mount Sinai. How is it all connected? Folllowing these questions while being chased by a suspicious pair of Masonic brothers, James and his companions traverse a land of twisting bayous that do not easily give up the secrets they contain. There, he finds a singular path, and a way of life he did not know could exist within the bounds of America.