Dr. Joel Fleischman is depressed when grumpy old patient Soapy Sanderson completely ignores his medical advice, and is stunned when he and Maggie are named joint executors of his 140 acres forest estate where only wolves live. Maggie wants to turn it into a nature reserve, however un-required it is in this part of Alaska. Joel is rather tempted by the Indian chief Ronkomkoma's idea to turn it into a tax shelter by formally drilling for oil which everybody knows isn't there, hoping it may pay his way back to New York. Later Joel learns Soapy was a spirituality college professor for 20 years. Soapy also left them a $200 Lafitte-Latour for their trouble, which nearly works a romantic wonder, and a journal. Meanwhile the press gets interested.

A charming replacement and Maggie's premonition of death make Joel reconsider his trip to New York.