The setting is the years prior to the outbreak of World War I. It is a time when Germany is outwardly preparing for war but Britain continues to believe it is invincible and that no one would challenge her. A vast German spy network flourishes in England, often in plain view. The main character is Karl Jan Stewart Smyth, an aspiring British diplomat who falls in disfavor with his superiors for defending a woman while stationed in Berlin. The resulting scandal causes Stewart Smyth to be recalled. On the way home, he meets a German gentleman, Anselm, who claims to be a crockery salesman. But, Anselm is not what he appears to be. Disillusioned by the English government, Stewart Smyth allows himself to be recruited by Anselm