Otho and Shad leave Abidjan for the adventure of Europe. They dream of returning home as great benefactors, heroes. In Spain, a police roundup separates them.
Otho, escorted back to the border, returns to his country. He only finds affection and understanding from his sister and a young poet. For everyone else, he becomes an outcast. He's carried away by his projects for an Africa that would believe in itself.
Shad pursues his dream of a conquest, no matter the price. He goes to England, where he meets Tango, a Frenchwoman rebelling against society. She takes him to Paris where she still has family that might be able to help them. In turn, Shad introduces Tango to the warm and welcoming milieu of African exiles; she falls in love with Olga and is reconciliated with life. But they must contend with the greed of some African 'brothers', Tango's jealous cousin, administration…