Norton leaves Cambridge two weeks before graduation to go to Hawaii, where he plans to spend some time relaxing and exploring before the expedition begins. He arrives a day early, and with no open rooms at the university, sleeps on the beach. He soon meets Tallent and is dumbstruck by the man’s beauty. Tallent has a reputation in the anthropological field, being a romantic academic hero with a mysterious past. In the future, Tallent will disappear without a word, leaving no journals behind, which contributes to his reputation of mystery.

Meanwhile, he and Norton take two flights to U’ivu, a nation of three islands, although only two of them are officially inhabited. The first island is U’ivu, where most of the nation lives and where the king resides. The second island, Iva’a’aka, is reserved for farming. The third island, Ivu’ivu, is the “Forbidden Island,” where U’ivuans rarely set foot. The group lands in the king’s official hunting grounds and meets Esme, Tallent’s research assistant. The two have a strong relationship, and Norton is immediately jealous of it. As they all make their way to the boat that will take them to Ivu’ivu, Norton notices the many churches on the island.