The theme of the quest dominates the structure of the novel, but the underlying significance revolves around Kerin's coming of age. Typical of the sly humor of the novel, the quest is not anything particularly momentous, such as destroying an evil wizard bent on conquering the world. Kerin's family business is manufacturing clocks. Thus, his mission is to go to the far eastern country of Kuromon to uncover the secret of the Kuromonian clock escapement. The quest that follows, in spite of its many complications, is one of industrial espionage. Ironically, when Kerin finally gets to see one of the great clocks, he finds out that all he need do is ask, and he is allowed to see its inner workings and even make drawings of it. The great trade secret he has traveled so far to uncover turns out to be no secret at all. But Kerin's...