The gruesome murders of Alberto's uncle and his girlfriend's father horrify Alberto on the eve of his enlistment into the Italian navy. In a world tainted by sinister influences, Alberto's six-year journey takes him from Sicily, to the depths of Libya, and then into Egypt to spy on the British. Captured and interned in a prisoner-of-war camp in Kenya, East Africa, he's threatened by hostile guards, menaced by a fellow prisoner, while helping three men escape. Amidst the chaos, Alberto overcomes challenging obstacles to create a rare masterpiece: a model schooner that becomes his ticket to freedom.