David Miller is an idealist in the colonial frontier of highland New Guinea in 1938. Having given away law to work as an anthropologist and gain a greater insight into the traditional beliefs of the natives he finds himself once again drawn back into law when he reluctantly agrees to represent T'Laupo, a highlander charged with murder, after a traditional pay back killing. As David investigates the case and re-establishes an old friendship with another highlander, Jainantu, he finds that all is not as it seems - and the greatest lessons are the ones we learn ourselves.