An unnamed narrator writes a letter to an old college friend, Adam, with whom he has been staying since his abrupt return to the states. Now that the narrator is moving on to a new location, he finally reveals the events that led him to Adam's door, set in motion by a chance encounter with Uzi, an Israeli spice merchant whose wares had developed a cult following. As he becomes increasingly entangled in Uzi's life - and by extension the lives of Uzi's ex-wife and children - his jealous affection takes on a sinister aspect, which will ultimately threaten the wellbeing of all around him.