the ▁Jews .” ▁ ▁The ▁religion ▁Te ▁K oot i ▁created , ▁the ▁Ring atu ▁Church , ▁still ▁claims ▁around ▁ 1 5 , 0 0 0 ▁ad her ents ▁in ▁New ▁Zealand ▁today . ▁ ▁Plot ▁summary ▁In ▁this ▁story ▁of ▁New ▁Zealand ▁and ▁Te ▁K oot i ' s ▁War ▁during ▁the ▁year ▁beginning ▁November ▁ 1 0 , ▁ 1 8 6 8 , ▁the ▁narr ative ▁co ales ces ▁around ▁the ▁development ▁of ▁its ▁protagon ist , ▁George ▁Fair we ather , ▁who ▁in ▁Sh ad bol t ' s ▁historical ▁ep ilog ue ▁is ▁described ▁as ▁“ A ▁composite ▁character ▁... ▁yet ▁still ▁far ▁from ▁fict ional .” ▁ ▁Fair we ather ▁is ▁a ▁compet ent ▁but ▁c yn ical ▁former ▁British ▁officer ▁in ▁his ▁early ▁for ties , ▁who ▁leaves ▁the ▁service ▁under ▁a ▁cloud , ▁turns ▁landscape ▁painter ▁and ▁cultiv ates ▁an ▁air ▁of ▁world ly ▁det achment . ▁ ▁Yet ▁he ▁finds ▁himself ▁drawn ▁by ▁love ▁and ▁human ity ▁back ▁into ▁the ▁world ▁of ▁colonial ▁New ▁Zealand ▁and ▁the ▁ma el st rom ▁of ▁the ▁New ▁Zealand ▁Wars , ▁not ▁altogether ▁disag ree able , ▁as ▁he ▁finds ▁to ▁his ▁surprise . ▁ ▁P urs uing ▁Te ▁K oot i ▁as ▁an ▁officer ▁and ▁commander ▁in ▁the ▁colonial ▁milit ia , ▁while ▁perfect ing ▁his ▁ability ▁to ▁destroy ▁Te ▁K oot i ' s ▁reb elli ous ▁“ J ew s ” ▁Fair we ather ▁par ado x ically ▁finds ▁his ▁feelings ▁of ▁human ity