A dead GIRL has been found in a remote town in the American southwest. There is no medical examiner or coroner available so they are flying her to a larger city to perform an autopsy. GALT drives the GIRL to the town’s airstrip. JOHN, a down on his luck middle aged pilot hanging on to his last chance job, is to fly her to a larger city. They both work for MERKARITZ, an old self made man that owns an aeronautical charting company and other businesses, including a shady aircraft charter outfit. While flying JOHN is in the habit of smoking tobacco which is banned by regulations. This time he is out of cigarette paper so it occurs to him to use a piece of the aeronautical chart as substitute. During MERKARITZ conversations with his aide it is revealed the new inks in the aeronautical charts are highly toxic.