Professor Candrew Nor is a geologist working with archaeologists studying the ancient Anasazi culture in Chaco Canyon. He is disturbed to learn that one of the archaeologists had died in an accidental fall. But later, when he’s at a small isolated Anasazi ruin, he stumbles on the body of another archaeologist. This also appears to be an accidental death. Could two accidental deaths really be a coincidence? Especially since they were studying similar aspects of Anasazi ruins.

As Candrew works with a couple of high tech researchers he becomes increasingly suspicious. He also meets the head of the California team, the egotistical and competitive Professor Blafner. He learns that one of the dead men was from an Ivy-league school and the other a visiting scientist from England. They had a common interest in metates, newly discovered, highly polished grinding stones that functioned like mirrors.

They were also interested in the unusual blue macaw feathers found in current Great House excavation sites. When the autopsy shows the Ivy-leaguer was in fact poisoned, Candrew starts putting together all the pieces of apparently unrelated evidence to pin down those responsible for murder in Chaco Canyon.