▁was ▁inspired ▁by ▁a ▁visit ▁to ▁a ▁large ▁plant ation ▁in ▁Char l eston , ▁South ▁Carolina , ▁that ▁had ▁used ▁slave ▁labor . ▁The ▁garden , ▁house , ▁and ▁ha unted ▁ground ▁in ▁the ▁story ▁were ▁inspired ▁by ▁what ▁Le ▁Gu in ▁referred ▁to ▁as ▁a ▁" be aut iful , ▁terrible ▁place ." ▁ ▁Plot ▁summary ▁So h ikel wen yan m ur ker es ▁Es dan ▁serves ▁as ▁the ▁chief ▁of ▁intelligence ▁for ▁the ▁emb ass y ▁of ▁the ▁Ek umen ▁to ▁Wer el . ▁During ▁a ▁civil ▁war ▁on ▁the ▁planet , ▁the ▁government ▁cut s ▁the ▁emb ass y ▁off ▁from ▁access ▁to ▁the ▁outside ▁world . ▁Es dan ▁is ▁c land est in ely ▁approached ▁by ▁mess engers ▁of ▁the ▁re bell ion , ▁asking ▁officials ▁of ▁the ▁Ek umen ▁to ▁visit ▁them . ▁Es dan , ▁b ored ▁by ▁his ▁isol ation , ▁volunte ers ▁to ▁make ▁the ▁journey ▁across ▁the ▁government ▁lines . ▁He ▁is ▁intercept ed ▁by ▁government ▁forces ▁as ▁he ▁attempts ▁to ▁cross ▁into ▁re bel ▁territory , ▁rough ed ▁up , ▁and ▁imprison ed ▁on ▁a ▁large ▁slave ▁estate , ▁where ▁he ▁is ▁tort ured . ▁He ▁is ▁n urs ed ▁by ▁an ▁elder ly ▁woman ▁slave , ▁and ▁his ▁inj uries ▁later ▁treated ▁by ▁another , ▁named ▁G ana . ▁Ray aye , ▁a ▁minister ▁of ▁the ▁government ▁vis its ▁him , ▁and ▁offers ▁him ▁his ▁freedom ▁if ▁he ▁helps ▁the ▁government ▁in ▁the ▁civil ▁war . ▁ ▁Rec over ing