Alec Milius is a young man in a hurry. Desperate to make his mark and with the certainties of the Cold War consigned to history, he's more interested in what doing something for his country can do for him than in what he can do for his country. So when a brief conversation with a friend of his late father leads to an interview with the Secret Intelligence Service, Alec sees a lifeline, investing the role with all his hopes for the future. But at what cost to himself and to those around him ...