Description

In bustling Maskat, a melting‑pot port where languages clash like market cries, an Englishman named Bill Kirby finds himself drawn into a restless conversation after a stray Chinese gong startles him. He recounts his partnership with a bright‑eyed New England professor, John Conrad, whose obsession with a mysterious insect has taken them deep into the uncharted interior of Somaliland. Their venture promises untold discoveries beyond the routes familiar to seasoned explorers. Together they cut through thorn forest, leaving behind the familiar desert for a jungle that feels almost mythic.

One night, as they set up camp in a clearing, a haunting, resonant voice drifts through the trees, more than a simple drumbeat. The men exchange uneasy glances; even their loyal guide Selim, a half‑caste servant, trembles at rumors of a cursed ju‑ju that haunts these lands. With supplies dwindling and their porters vanished, the trio must decide whether to press onward toward the coast or retreat. The atmosphere tightens, hinting at the perils that lie hidden in the jungle's shadows.