A wealthy man in London acquires a small, sinister golden idol whose arrival coincides with sudden fortune; curiosity leads him and companions into a remote African region where they confront dwarf communities, ancient rituals, subterranean halls, a gold-filled town, feasting ceremonies, illness, diary revelations, and clashes among local groups. The narrative follows their expedition, the unfolding of secret histories and rites connected to the idol, and the personal and communal consequences of obsession, with local informants and enigmatic messages gradually disclosing the artifact’s origins and determining the fate of those who sought it.