Long Odds

A sweltering afternoon in Western Africa sets the stage for a tale of isolation and uneasy power. Dom Erminio, the weary commandant of Fort San Roque, watches the oppressive heat and the slow, stifling decay of his outpost, while the murky river and looming forest whisper of danger and opportunity. The arrival of a fast‑moving canoe shatters his lazy routine, hinting at the urgent business and precarious alliances that will test his leadership.

Against a backdrop of crumbling stockades, mud‑brick quarters, and a fever‑laden atmosphere, the narrative introduces Thomas Ormsgill and a cast of soldiers, servants, and strangers whose motives are as tangled as the jungle vines. As the commandant’s complacency wanes, the story gathers momentum, promising intrigue, moral dilemmas, and the clash of cultures that will shape the fortunes of those trapped in this remote, unforgiving world.