Alvaro's world is one of rivers and streams. This remote island off the Argentinean coast is where he ekes out a humble existence. Fishing and reed-cutting are his only sources of income. Out here, it is as if time has stood still. Alvaro's homosexuality makes him just as much of an outsider as does his love of books. The only link between this forlorn part of the world in the middle of the wide ocean and the city on the mainland is skipper El Turu's little boat, "El Leon", that carries islanders back and forth, once a day. El Turu himself takes the helm every single day. A rough and sometimes violent man, El Turu is convinced that Alvaro poses a threat to the remote island community and its prevailing values and virtues. Moreover, since he regards himself as the tacit ruler of this world, he is determined to enforce these values. Intolerant and unrelenting, he bullies Alvaro whenever he can--although his actions display an increasing lack of propriety and dignity. Yet if truth be known, his aggressive rejection of an alternative existence only serves to conceal his inner emotional turmoil.