Prague, 16th century. On the orders of the Emperor, two rabbis set to work to make a human being, a so-called golem, from lumps of clay and using mysterious formulae from the Talmud. If they are successful, the Emperor will guarantee the safety of the Jewish population of Prague...Present day. Victor Werker is a Dutch scientist of international repute, creator of the 'eobiont', a form of life born from inorganic matter, using a DNA modelling technique. Werker's personal life is a disaster, but when he intercepts a secret communication between a contract killer and the killer's employer, his situation becomes far, far worse.