A Bushman is discovered dead near the Central Kalahari Game Reserve. Although the man looks old enough to have died of natural causes, the police suspect foul play, and the body is sent to Gaborone for an autopsy. Pathologist Ian MacGregor confirms the cause of death as a broken neck, but is greatly puzzled by the man's physiology. Although he's obviously very old, his internal organs look remarkably young. He calls in Assistant Superintendent David "Kubu" Bengu. When the Bushman's corpse is stolen from the morgue, suddenly the case takes on a new dimension.