Revolution is simmering in the heat of the battered Central American town, Port Tropique. Hautned by his memories, ineffectual protagonist Franz Hall spends his days drinking and observing people at the zocalo and occasional nights involved in an ivory-smuggling operation threated by an impending government siege. In this sinuous narrative of dislocation and remorse, renowned novelist and screenwriter Barry Gifford details Franz's mundanity and the bizarre cast of characters around him.