Dr. Horatio Averill Blake, a noted Florida anthropologist whose life was rerouted by the tragic deaths of his mother and father, confronts the consequences of his actions in affecting the destiny of an ancient South American indigenous tribe. The ramifications of tragedy upon tragedy force the egotistical adventurer to choose between the truth or the loss of even more. A magic idol, voices from the afterlife, and his own flesh and blood lead the scientist dubbed "Montana" down a trail never before explored to a destination that logic cannot foretell.