With the aid of the Native American Shaman Conawago, Duncan
McCallum has begun to heal from the massacre of his Highland
clan by the British. But his new life is shattered when he
and Conawago discover a dying Virginian officer nailed to an
Indian shrine tree. The authorities arrest Conawago and
schedule his hanging. As Duncan begins a desperate search
for the truth, he finds himself in a maelstrom of deception
and violence.
The year is 1760, and while the British army wishes to
dismiss the killing as another casualty of its war with
France, Duncan discovers a pattern of ritualistic murders
related to provincial treaty negotiations and the struggles
between tribal factions. Duncan understands that the real
mysteries underlying his quest lie in the hearts of natives
who, like his Highland Scots, have glimpsed the end of their
world approaching.