British ship's captain Will Laurence has created an international incident by snatching a dragon's egg meant as a gift from the Chinese emperor to Napoleon. Facing hanging for his unwitting role, Laurence is now trying to return the hatched dragon to the Far East, unaware that he may be facing even worse troubles if he manages to reach the Chinese court.

Ramage is is summoned by the Admiralty and given command of the brig, Triton. But like the rest of the Navy, Triton's crew has mutinied. While sympathizing with some of their complaints, the lieutenant knows that if he fails to deliver three sealed dispatches to admirals off Brest and Cadiz, and in the Caribbean, he will become a convenient scapegoat.

Barbary Coast pirates--the Saraceni--are capturing slaves and terrorizing fishing villages along the coast of Sicily. Ramage and his crew are sent to track them down before they can devastate another town.