An outsider named Quorn becomes keeper of a famed elephant, Asoka, and cultivates a tense bond with the animal amid a heat-soaked carnival in a frontier state. Public spectacle and private loyalties collide as palace intrigue, challenged priestly authority, and practices tied to thuggee generate danger. Quorn and a few confidants must cope with Asoka's panics, periods of concealment, and a carefully laid trap while events lead to the disappearance of the Ranee, forcing practical problem solving amid superstition, bribery, and violent conspiracies that unsettle the community.