Charles, an anthropologist, is studying for his doctorate degree on the culture and traditions of the Herero tribe in Southern Africa. Before his departure from Durham University to undertake his research in Botswana and Namibia, he is recruited to become an informer for MI6 who are particularly interested in Chinese and Japanese corporations competing to exploit the substantial mineral wealth of both countries and their clandestine dealings with tribal elders and corrupt governmental officials. On arrival in Botswana, Charles is welcomed into a local village as the guest of a tribal chief but soon realises that blackmail, witchcraft and murder is endemic and starts to understand just how far the mineral corporations are prepared to go.