Corsica, in the late nineteenth century. In the quiet town of Ajaccio, a magistrate becomes acquainted with the reclusive Englishman Sir John Rowell, whose past is surrounded by disturbing rumors. In his house hangs a strange and frightening trophy: a dried human hand chained to the wall. The story explores the uncertain boundary between reason and superstition, fear and crime, leaving behind a mystery that resists any single explanation.