The daughter of a United States senator brings home an unusual toy from a neighborhood shopping mall on Long Island. The toy, which seems to be innocuous, begins to wield ever increasing influence over American politics. The initial version of the toy is named Socrates. This version is quickly followed by another version named Plato. The puppet-like toy answers spoken questions by responding with a blue luminescent glow indicating yes, or a red glow indicating no. The mystery of how the toy operates without any internal electronics is one of the most fascinating aspects of the novel. The unmasking of this mystery holds the secret to how those from an ancient civilization in Mexico were able to bioengineer immortality. Although all of the aforementioned descriptions are true to the storyline, the reader would probably never guess that underneath it all is an allegory. The novel is an allegory about beings that do not have a natural body.