"A man lives alone in a watchtower by the sea. On the circular wails of the tower he is painting a grand mural - the timeless landscape of a battle. Andres Faulques is a former war photographer, and the painting is his attempt to capture the image that has always eluded him; to encapsulate, in an instant, the meaning of war. But then one day a stranger knocks on his door and announces that he has come to kill him. The man is a shadow from his past, a former soldier and one of the myriad faces of war that enabled Faulques to become rich and famous. The two begin a chess game of words, delving into both their pasts, a doomed love affair and a tragic betrayal. For as long as he can maintain a dialogue with this man, Faulques will be safe." "Intense and turbulent, this is a novel about art, war, love and the human capacity for both violence and empathy. It asks profound questions about human nature and where the next century might take us."--Jacket.