The Prophet Pasqual

This is a story about three middle aged men; lost souls, all looking for something, who meet while studying martial arts. There is Ed McGuy, a simple giant-sized sanyasin who feels a calling to be a guru; Richie Smith, an alcoholic tough-guy bartender who aspires to be a blues guitarist although not a very good musician; and Ray Lloyd, a reformed pot grower and successful tree farmer who can't seem to connect with women.One day, for the most unexpected of reasons, Ed (otherwise known as Pasqual) finds himself gaining a reputation as a seer. When Ray provides financial backing and practical advice, Ed soars from hard luck to cosmic grace, complete with a growing following. His friends all decide to go along for the ride: Richie to advance his musical career (he and his mystical child/woman daughter, Althea, volunteer to provide the music before the preaching), Ray to meet willing women. Other hangers-on -- including the ultimate sales hustler, Charlie Fruit -- join the action in order to advance their own agendas.Their story plays out against the background of Hawaii's two realities, the postcard-pretty one and the Hawaii of heat, pollution, racism, and greed. Early success turns out to be the easy part, but it soon becomes its own hell-on-earth as the three seekers find both more and less of what they sought and bargained for.