Major Johnson's army career was undistinguished. He rose slowly through the ranks, conforming to the rules and on retirement settled in the quiet village of Wiveldown. But Wiveldown is to belie its placid image, for soon the paths of a disparate group of peoples are about to cross with devastating consequences. An elderly woman, a pair of young louts, an innocent girl - when their lives are suddenly connected, a chain of events is initiated which will begin in coincidence and end in tragedy. For the Major, life is to be irrevocably changed.