All is not as it seems in the tranquil waters of the Aardvark Archipelago. After the death of his parents, Ascott Pudding ran away to the ends of the Earth—that is, to the Aardvark Archipelago, which is basically the same thing. But these tropical waters hold more than just fish, and Ascott soon finds himself in the grip of an ancient mystery... and an extremely violent invertebrate. With the help of his best friend, Shoal, and an artistically temperamental parrot, Ascott will face down a homicidal octopus, an extreme whale-based sporting event, and several varieties of pirate. Above all, though, they must unravel the ancient mystery of a treasure beyond imagining: the Pisces of Fate. Contains a bonus short Drakeforth short story, "Uncertainty of Goats."