What begins as a straightforward holiday weekend for Sir Edward Leithen in a splendid stately home in the Cotswolds soon turns into something altogether different when one of Lady Flambard´s other guests, the enigmatic Professor Moe, enlists the help of Leithen and his companions in a bizarre experiment to glimpse the future. For those who take part, the consequences are dramatic and Leithen´s formidable powers of reasoning are brought to the fore.