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Intro
Late on a Saturday night, Corporal Lestrade escorts Makak into a jail where two felons, Tigre and Souris, are already incarcerated. Lestrade alternates between insulting the two Black felons—calling them “animals” and “savages”—and interrogating Makak, whom he has charged with drunk and disorderly conduct after Makak vandalized a local café. Furthermore, Lestrade says, Makak was shouting about his disturbing vision. Makak begins to outline the content of the vision, which he experienced recently.
In an extended flashback, the narrative returns to the aftermath of Makak’s vision, when his friend and business partner Moustique finds him lying on the ground near his hut. Moustique and Makak are charcoal-makers, and Moustique is anxious to load up their donkey Berthillia and head into town for market day. Makak describes his vision of a white lady who told him he descends from African kings and lions. Moustique dismisses the vision as a seizure, as Makak often suffers seizures during the full moon.
As Moustique bustles about getting ready for the market, a spider runs across his hand prophesying his imminent death. Makak agrees it’s a bad sign, then slips back into his vision. In the dream, he orders Moustique to prepare to return to Africa with him.
Three days later (still in Makak’s dream), Makak and Moustique run into a party of travelers carrying Josephus—a man who has fallen ill after a snake bite—to the hospital. Makak heals the man with prayer, and Moustique sees an opportunity to make money from the grateful and impressed onlookers. He takes everything he can from them, including the top hat and coat that belong to Basil, a carpenter who makes coffins and who is thus closely associated with death. Reminding Moustique of the spider, Basil warns him to be careful.
Word of Makak’s miraculous powers spreads until it reaches the market in town, where Corporal Lestrade and his friend, market inspector Caiphus J. Pamphilion, are on patrol. Eventually, Moustique—masquerading as Makak—arrives and offers his services for a high price. But when Basil recognizes and exposes him, the crowd becomes angry and beats him severely. Makak arrives in time to watch his friend die from his injuries.
Back in the jail (but still in Makak’s dream), Tigre convinces Makak to attack Lestrade so the three men can escape. Makak agrees and stabs Lestrade, but non-fatally. Tigre, Souris, and Makak escape, heading toward Monkey Mountain, with Lestrade in pursuit. Lestrade soon catches up to them in the woods, where he and Souris each decide to follow Makak. Tigre resists, and in a fight with Lestrade, he is killed.
Makak, Souris, and Lestrade make a triumphant return to Africa, where Makak presides as king. He and his advisors hold a trial judging for famous (White) historical figures, condemning them all to death for the crime of being White. Eventually, the apparition reappears to ask for Makak’s forgiveness. But he now realizes that worshipping Whiteness is folly, so he beheads her.
Returned to his right mind, Makak—whose real name, he now remembers, is Felix Hobain—finds himself in jail in the wee hours of Sunday morning. Lestrade explains once again why he’s there—for vandalizing the café in a drunken rage—but he indicates that he will release Felix with just a warning when daylight comes, since it’s his first offense. As the sun rises, Moustique bustles into the jail in search of his friend, and Lestrade releases Makak into his custody. The two friends turn back toward Monkey Mountain.
