Montegu Sylver, the famous weasel detective, is off to the East! Someone has stolen the priceless jade shoes of the Green Idol of the god Ommm, and the Great Pangolin of Far Kathay has asked Monty for his help. From the moment Monty and his friends set paw on a steamship bound for the land of Eggyok, they face a hazardous journey - trekking across the desert, along the Silk Road to the roof of the world, and sailing up the Yingtong River.

And with Spindrick planning to put deadly weapons in every paw and claw, and the stoat Falshed hot on his tail, Monty must move fast. But things really get out of paw when Monty comes whisker to whisker with his old adversary, the evil lemming Sveltlana.