Blaine Ramsey has an unusual occupation. He travels to foreign countries and lives like a native. He drinks in the culture with his mind, body, and soul. And he does it all in the name of capitalism, for Blaine is an Image Digger, one of an elite few blessed with the power to "dream" authentic images from the deep unconscious of foreign lands that are turned into alluring psychologically active advertising to sell products.

But in a dusty Middle Eastern villa, something goes terribly wrong. Blaine is haunted by the recurring image of a young Arab beauty suffering a brutal attack. For Blaine, her image becomes the seductive source of romantic obsession -- and a nightmare from which he cannot escape. And as Blaine is about to discover, her appearance in his dreams foretells tragedy -- a disaster the likes of which the world has never seen . . .