A novel about the relationships we have with God, with nature and with each other. In a remote corner of a Latin American rainforest, Father Thomas, a Catholic priest, comes across a badly wounded soldier and takes him to his church in an Indian village. The Indians, whose traditional way of life is under threat from outsiders, are wary of this latest new arrival. Venustiano, the proud young head of the village, is determined to protect his people, but feels powerless against the forces around him - and can trust nobody, not even Father Thomas. But his immediate problem is the bloodthirsty jaguar prowling around the village- for Venustiano is the only Indian with a gun, and he means to use it.