The dramatic story of the moral fall of a young African man who went a sad way from a sincere idealist with a brilliant European education to a cynical corrupt official and an avid conformist, and his uneasy love for a girl from the family of pagan priests. The novel immerses the reader in the bright and unusual world of Africa of the second half of the 20th century, where customs and rituals that have survived from truly time immemorial, then peacefully coexist, then enter into a tragic conflict with modernity and progress. The tragedy of a very different time, in which the author addresses his favorite topic of the destructive influence of European culture on the traditional perception of Africans The hero of the novel, the high priest of an ancient pagan cult, believes fervently, before fanaticism, and sincerely considers himself a living embodiment of divine power. However, soon he will have to enter into a fierce confrontation not only with the colonial authorities and Christian missionaries, but also with his beloved son who rebelled against his father’s will and way of life.