Perry Melstone had a malady as a child that gave his finger the power to promote a thick wire-like growth from whatever it touched 80 years later. It inundates the small town of Deerfield, Montana that Perry grew up in and will spread as the Perry begins to age and travel. When he passes on due to age, his sons must deal with the carnage created by their father. The sons continue the adventure in Africa, Montana, and the Oregon Coast.