It's springtime in the Eternal City, 1635. But it's no Roman holiday for uptimer Frank Stone and his pregnant downtime wife, Giovanna. They're in the clutches of would-be Pope Cardinal Borgia, with the real Pope - Urban VII - on the run with the renegade embassy of uptime Ambassador Sharon Nichols and her swashbuckling downtime husband.
Held hostage by a papal usurper, 1635 uptimer Frank Stone and his pregnant downtime wife, Giovanna, become targets in a rescue effort by Harry Lefferts and his infamous Wrecking Crew at the same time the true pope is targeted for assassination.