Using major political world events as a backdrop to the main action, Edgar traces the effect of the political spectrum on several individuals, in particular Martin Glass, from a middle-class family and minor public school, who starts out as an eager supporter of CND anxious to join a communist-based party, who achieves his aim, but, becoming disillusioned changes tack and veers to the hard-right until, confronting the fervour of a group of anti-nuclear women demonstrators, he realizes his moral inadequacy. In parallel is Lermontov, a disaffected Russian Army officer who, disillusioned by service in HUngary, is imprisoned for insubordination, defects to the West, but on attending a ceremony to receive an award for his defection, he is suddenly shamed as he remembers the initial ideals of the Russian Revolution and refuses the award.