While this novel begins and ends in a sophisticated and very pleasant little pub called the Free Press in Cambridge, England, the main character must decide whether or not to accept a somewhat ambiguous job offer in the light of some particularly problematic memories of deception, violence and death. These memories are generated by events in Panama, Cuba, Greece, Cyprus, and the Peopleʼs Republic of China, but their authenticity or validity are often a matter of mystery or conjecture.