In dire financial straits, he rents out a room of his house to a fellow traveler who turns out to be one of the richest (and soon to be most powerful) men in Europe. All is not well, though, as he finds that his roommate Alain Saint-Claire (wish they had provided a pronunciation key on that first name) is on the run from more than a job he doesn't want and telling Cyrus about this has apparently put Cyrus's life in danger.