In the town of Castleview, Illinois, Tom Howard is murdered at the factory he manages-on the same day that Will E. Shields and his family, newly come to Castleview, arrive with a realtor in tow to see Howard's house. From an attic window, Shields glimpses the phantom castle that has given the town its name. They are discussing the house with Sally Howard when the police arrive bearing the dreadful news. Then, driving back to the motel, Shields nearly hits a gigantic horseman in the rain...beginning a series of collisions with the mythological that only Gene Wolfe could tell.
