Last year the rain went away. It became very dry; there was no water and the sun killed the crops of my father. Leaving the kraal and misty Valley of a Thousand Hills, Kenon has come to Port Benjamin in search of work. In Johan he finds a master and a friend. For a time it seems their unorthodix friendship can break down the barrier between black and white. But storm clouds are gathering and the forces of love and politics will explode into tradedy.