Chapter 1 Summary

Chapter One opens with the death of Tusker Smalley, one of the main characters. The reader is given a great deal of background and is introduced to many of the other characters and many of the locations in the story while learning the immediate incidents that led up to Tusker's death on a Monday morning in April, 1972.

Tusker and Lucy Smalley have been living in The Lodge, an annex to Smith's Hotel, for ten years. Smith's was once the only hotel in the Pankot Hills, but it has clearly seen better days. Most of the business now goes to the Shiraz, which is new and five stories tall.

Smith's is owned by Mrs. Bhoolabhoy and managed by her husband Mr. Bhoolabhoy. Mrs. Bhoolabhoy suffers from migraines, and it is due to her current migraine that Tusker's death is discovered. The Smalley's dog, Bloxsaw...