Former intelligence analyst, George Swift, is on the trail of the secret beyond all secrets. Retired from the service, he returns to his childhood village, to find it impoverished, and home to racist thugs, while the surrounding countryside he once loved has been taken over by property developers. All of this has him wondering, from whom has he been keeping his country safe?

Then his old boss comes calling, wanting him for one last job: the protection of a young woman, but why and from whom, remains a mystery, one that threatens George's own quest for the ultimate truth regarding the nature of reality itself. All he knows is if he's ever to find peace again, and protect the girl, he's going to have to deal a blow to unimaginable wealth and power at the heart of the State. His only advantage is they've no idea who they're dealing with, that in a world where magic is no longer taken seriously, it helps if, like George, you're a bit of a magician, as well as a spy.