After a deal goes awry in India, Hugo finds himself in debt to dangerous gangsters and unable to support his wife and son; he must find a way out, fast.
At a party in a London warehouse, he is given a taste of a rare sacred herb from Uganda called Bulu, which is said to give its user powers of prophecy.
In a Bulu trance, Hugo has a shocking and mystical vision of himself in Uganda.
Hugo takes this as an opportunity to flee to Central Africa, buy a load of Bulu, and thus solve his financial problems.
Following his visions of the Bulu, Hugo tracks down two sisters who can help him reach his goal: a farmer born-again Christian, Kisakye, and a rebellious urban hustler, Angela.
Hugo ventures with Kisakye and Angela deep into the Ugandan forest to the remote village of Makaana, where Bulu is grown in secret.
However, all is not well in the village: the community is divided between the dominant Christian church and the powers of the African spirit world.
Meanwhile, Kisakye and Angela's conflicting agendas force Hugo to choose which of the sisters he will trust.
As Hugo becomes ensnared in webs of religion, romance, and foul play, his growing addiction to the mysterious Bulu threatens both his sanity and his very life.