The valley of Arcana

Two men—a meticulous physician and his younger companion—become lost in the vast redwood and fir country of northern California and set out to find shelter by following a wisp of smoke. Their wanderings bring them into contact with eccentric locals, prospectors, and a small mountain community, and embroil them in episodes of danger, wilderness survival, and regional folklore. The narrative moves through conferences, riddles, secret caves, a drifting episode on a river, and strange messages or tablets that deepen a quiet mystery. Interpersonal choices and alliances among residents, including a woman named Mary, shape the group's fortunes as they navigate hazards and revelations in the mountain valley.