Publisher's Synopsis
The snake God is a Hindu to Christian conversion story that went horribly wrong. Set in the fag end of British rule in India, the story revolves around a cobra that escapes from the snake charmers basket, is picked up by an eagle and falls into the landlords compound. On seeing it, the terrified landlord hops onto the visiting police officers jeep and hops on it for more elevation causing the bonnet to cave in. James Powell is the visiting police officer, a die hard imperialist whose stiff upper lip and poise take a beating when his host, the Indian landlord, starts hopping on the bonnet of his brand new Jeep. He watches aghast as the smart bonnet caves in. He is furious. Neither does he understand why on earth would anyone pray to a snake, especially one sitting coiled on the head of a scarecrow? He and Bill Moore, who is the pastor in the local church, succeed in converting the landlord to Christianity. Before converting to Christianity, the landlord was an orthodox Hindu who did not understand why Englishmen didn't pray to snakes? If they did, they would rule India for the next one hundred years.. The snake of course does not understand why humans pray to it and why they sometimes offer it milk? And why did they sometimes chase it with sticks and stones to kill it. Is it because it bit the little girl that died? Or is it because it got entangled in a sleeping woman's hair? Life is an enigma. Read on.
