'Akka was called a door of hope by a prophet in the Old Testament, but in the nineteenth century it was a poor, dispirited place, having suffered famines, plagues and wars until almost everyone had given up all hopes of anything good ever happening there. It became a penal colony. The worst criminals were sent to Akka, including some prisoners who had not done anything bad at all.
This story is about One of those prisoners and a boy who lives in the town. The Prisoner, His family, a shaykh and the pilgrims who visit Him are all real people. The boy is imaginary, but what he discovers is true.