It is by no means clear how much control Yorkshireman Jeremy Davenant has over his own destiny. For one, he's convinced that the blueprint of his future already exists on a page ripped from a random book (an encyclopedia, it transpires). Romantic, fatalist, quixotic, he blithely teaches with forged credentials at a Montreal university until a single glimpse of a dark lady sends his life spinning into chaotic mishap and obsession.