It is August of 1945. An American submarine, silent and hidden, moves toward the darkened coast of an island. On board are an an odd quartet: Gus, a commander who was once a student of religion; Angelo, a skilled navigator with a secret; Havenmeyer, who understands guns better than the complexities of the soul; and Ikeda, caught between two cultures and uncertain where his loyalty lies. Part adventure-thriller set in wartime Japan and partly a glimpse into the primitive world of the Ainu people.