In Guadeloupe, a man is found dead in the village of Riviere au Sel. He was Francis Sancher, a handsome individual, liked by some and reviled by others. The villagers come to pay their last respects and in speech or in internal monologue reveal their relationship to him. They include the postman who was his friend, the man who hated his guts and the woman who wishes she could burn on his pyre.