General Matsika's children steal out of the house on a forbidden adventure—and disappear. In Zimbabwe, in the year 2194, the children's parents call in Africa's most unusual detectives—the Ear, the Eye and the Arm—who have powers far beyond those of other human beings.

The children must avoid the evils of the past, the technology of the future, and a motley assortment of criminals in order to return home safely.