You might think that an innocent member of the public might be far removed from the darker side of human existence. However, cause and effect would have it otherwise. For a retired university lecturer, the uncovering of a 19th century aviation mystery exposes more than he bargains for. An organization known as The Sails and Rigging Committee, the onetime super-secret service dedicated to protecting the British Navy's world dominance, has morphed into something more sinister than anyone could possibly comprehend. As an academic devoted to the facts, he feels compelled to write the truth about this renegade group, and, in this way, he will expose an organization out of control. However, there's a problem. The Sails and Rigging Committee want him silenced. Should he disappear for a while? What transpires is as shocking as it is sickening. In his attempt to hide from an agent of what he perceives as a morally corrupt part of British history, he steps right up to his neck in one of the most evil crimes that humankind can engage in. And who is perpetrating this crime? It's not who you might think, and it certainly isn't where you might expect.