Condor is a young man who is in love with the sea, but his twin brother, Hugh, does not share his passion. Thirst for adventure puts the two young men on a ship with Francis Drake. Drake harbors incredible ambition and does whatever is necessary to advance his career. He is also paranoid and forces Condor, who is an unusually large and strong man, to vow to serve him as bodyguard for life. Condor feels trapped, and when his brother mysteriously disappears, he risks the wrath of Drake on several occasions while he seeks his brother both in Panama and Europe. Condor sails around the world with Drake. Every mile deepens his disgust for the man. He also takes part in the battle with the great Spanish Armada. When he finally breaks away from Drake, he finds his lost brother after many foot-sore miles in a Spanish monastery. The ending gets intense when Condor finds the love of his life and tries to win her affection. This is a story of brotherly devotion, greed, cruelty and revenge.
