In 1907, an African porter named Alibhai is cataloguing the ogres of East Africa for for a wicked British hunter who, having hunted all other types of big prey, desires to kill an ogre. In the margins beside the official descriptions of the ogres, Alibhai writes private notes for himself, describing the mysterious woman Mary who provides him with information about the ogres. Over time, it becomes clear that Mary herself is one of the ogres she describes, and that she has come to trust Alibhai. She gives him and the other porters her protection in the form of red thread necklaces that signify their alliance with the ogres. Alibhai joins her cause, knowing that leading his employer into the forest will result in the Englishman's death, and freedom for Alibhai and the others.