Malik rents his youth at a high cost, which seems the practical solution to surviving his extravagant lifestyle and the expenses of studying in a foreign city. Jake, old enough to be his father, can't protect him from his solitary delusions, or offer him the home in Sydney he craves-- and Jake hides a past of grief. With each transaction, Malik gains more independence, the encounters of flesh becoming anthologies on his skin. Will their relationship endure? Guided by the prophetic voices inside his head, he advances a personal philosophy to counter the moral standards of monogamy and resolve the spiritual problems of urban living. Meanwhile, a bird thing prowls his sleep, and the social challenges of the work threaten to break his will.