When Lawrence agrees to look after the Sword of Justice while the silversmith is away, strange things start to happen. An eerie tale of betrayal and sorcery.For years, hundreds of alien vessels hover over major population centres about the globe. Eventually these "Godships" become objects of worship.There are no lifeforms on board; the ships are sentient automatons.When they leave, they abduct several humans, including Gordon Blend.Gordon describes their journeys through the galaxy, debates the purpose of the Godships and the role, if any, of God.Eventually, they return to planet Earth. Because of space-time anomalies and time dilation, the planet has changed dramatically.