During the summer of 1998 Thomas Martin encounters his former friend Stephen Parker and conveys how, despite the outward appearance of a good job and an attractive wife, he feels like an observer, waiting for his life to happen, Thomas travels to Riyadh on a work assignment and there, and during a stopover in London on his return, becomes entangled in what appears to him to be a form of game with constantly evolving ground rules. Thomas encounters two women, Deshna and Lynn, who entrance him and as he is drawn deeper Stephen once again surfaces. The story moves between Montreal, Seattle, Vancouver and London. The June 1999 Carnival Against Capitalism in London and the 1999 Battle in Seattle provide a backdrop as Thomas and his wife Donna pursue the truth behind the actions of a small group of players who seem intent on manipulating Thomas's life. Following the Seattle protest, as the millenium approaches, Thomas comes face to face with the mystery of what has been happening and who the players really are.