"I shall quest for a new master. An enlightened new master." So declares Conrad the Good, court jester to the cruel Count Otto of Schwarzenberg, who frequently punishes Conrad with a whip. Conrad makes good on his promise, stealing away with his beloved Christa and his trusty horse, Blackspur. As they travel, their small troupe grows . . . and so do their problems. For the road brings not only freedom, but plague, fierce winter storms, and a ruler even more vicious than Otto.