▁published ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 6 , ▁featuring ▁the ▁character ▁Mod esty ▁Bla ise ▁which ▁O ' D onn ell ▁had ▁created ▁for ▁the ▁com ic ▁strip ▁of ▁the ▁title . ▁It ▁was ▁the ▁second ▁novel ▁to ▁feature ▁the ▁character , ▁though ▁techn ically ▁it ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁original ▁novel ▁as ▁the ▁preceding ▁volume ▁was ▁a ▁novel isation ▁of ▁a ▁movie ▁screen play . ▁ ▁This ▁story ▁introdu ces ▁the ▁American ▁million aire ▁John ▁D all , ▁who ▁re app ears ▁in ▁many ▁of ▁the ▁following ▁books . ▁ ▁Plot ▁summary ▁Kar z ▁is ▁a ▁military ▁leader ▁who ▁has ▁never ▁known ▁defeat . ▁The ▁huge ▁Mong ol ▁is ▁now ▁assemb ling ▁and ▁training ▁a ▁large ▁and ▁well - equ ipped ▁army ▁of ▁mer cen aries ▁in ▁a ▁hidden ▁valley ▁in ▁the ▁H indu ▁K ush ▁Mountains ▁border ing ▁on ▁Afghan istan . ▁His ▁objective : ▁The ▁invasion ▁and ▁occupation ▁of ▁oil - rich ▁K uw ait . ▁ ▁Kar z ▁does ▁have ▁one ▁problem ▁though ; ▁he ▁la cks ▁a ▁couple ▁of ▁top ▁lie uten ants ▁to ▁command ▁two ▁sections ▁of ▁his ▁growing ▁army . ▁His ▁choice ▁falls ▁on ▁Mod esty ▁Bla ise ▁and ▁Will ie ▁Gar vin , ▁even ▁though ▁he ▁knows ▁they ▁are ▁not ▁for ▁h ire . ▁ ▁Meanwhile , ▁Sir ▁Ger ald ▁T arr ant , ▁who ▁runs ▁a ▁secret ▁service ▁organisation ▁under ▁the ▁British ▁government , ▁has ▁noticed ▁that ▁many ▁mer cen aries ▁are ▁being ▁rec ru ited ▁by ▁some ▁unknown ▁employ er ▁and ▁disappear ing .