Set in an imaginary England when King James 111 is on the throne and wolves still roam the country, this is a fabulous adventure full of imagination and surprise. Having travelled to London to become a painter, Simon finds things are not all as he had hoped. Staying with the Twites and attending the unusual Art Academy, Simon uncovers a plot to kill the king before being kidnapped and bundled off to sea. Luckily for him, Dido Twite has already stowed away on the very same ship. Dido is a match for most things which is just as well as one disaster after another follows. Will the ship mates survive it all intact?
'Wait, wait! Save us! What'll we do?' Simon is determined to become a painter when he grows up so he sets off to London to make his fortune. But the city is plagued by wolves and mysterious disappearances. The Twite household, where Simon is lodging, seems particularly shifty. Before he even gets a chance to open his glistening new paints Simon stumbles right into the centre of a plot to kill the King. And worse than that Simon is kidnapped and sent to sea! Luckily there are two friendly stowaways aboard - the feisty Dido Twite and the spoiled young Justin. But when the ship catches fire things look pretty dire. Can they escape? Will they save the king in time?
