The Naked Boy is spit out of the mouth of a white whale on the east coast of an unnamed continent. The little unformed baby is adopted by a group of crows. The crows tell him that The Great Bear (Ursa Major) — the constellation that turns the seasons — will ravage and kill his sister Ursula if he doesn’t get there first. They give him wings and a directive to follow the railroad west to Ursa Major’s home.
Meanwhile, the Great Bear and Ursula discover that they are expecting twins. The Great Bear worries that The Naked Boy will fulfill a prophecy to kill him.
After The Naked Boy blinds Pirate, a giant snapping turtle, the turtle bites off The Naked Boy’s legs. While blinding Pirate, he inadvertently killed the seven sisters who now form a constellation named The Pleiades. His friend Lyle (formerly a werewolf), now a wandering spirit, keeps watch on The Naked Boy as he crosses the continent.
The Naked Boy has recently left Freedom City-The City of Big Men in flames. A family of escaping slaves- Mama Lou, Cash and Rose have led the "volunteer" work force out of servitude in Freedom City. The Governor of Freedom City has just hatched his plan to run for president of the continent. Part of that plan involved experimentation on the Naked Boy to create a lab grown work force that would dispense with human workers. The Naked Boy's capture gave The Governor another political edge- his image as a protector. The Naked Boy thwarted his plans with the help of Lyle by escaping just in time to help the slaves break out. Now, The Naked Boy continues his westward journey in search of his sister in the beginning of the final part of The Naked Boy.
