Dive into the tapestry of intrigue woven by four pivotal figures: an enigmatic, unnamed protagonist who narrates the tale while serving as a British intelligence operative; Colonel Ross, a stalwart of British Military Intelligence; Brigadier Dalby, the civilian intelligence unit's leader on a special mission; and "Jay," a shadowy entrepreneur, whose allegiances shift towards the Soviet Union.

The anonymous operative stands as a solitary sentinel, emerging from humble roots. His presence is formidable, his words sharp and quick-witted, underpinned by an unyielding patriotism. With raven-black hair and piercing blue eyes, his complexion is darkened to match his spirit. Glasses sit upon his nose, and his trench coat is a mobile armory—stuffed with French Gauloises, a garlic sausage, Normandy butter, and a trusty hammerless Smith & Wesson. A character reminiscent of Odysseus, echoing the cunning of John Osborn's Jimmy Porter and the edgy gallantry of Chandler's Philip Marlowe.

Colonel Ross, a paragon of the public school and Sandhurst graduate, is seasoned by his service in India. As the head of a Military Intelligence department, from which our narrator recently departed to join W.O.O.C. (P.), Ross and his former subordinate share a mutual, if polite, disdain. Thin-nosed and mustachioed, his yellowish skin and precisely combed hair exemplify the "regular" officer's restraint.

Brigadier Dalby, the new head of W.O.O.C. (P.), epitomizes the refined yet aloof Englishman. Tall and fair-haired, his light skin marked by a discreet scar from his German university days in the 1930s, he adopts a casual elegance. His suede shoes are a testament to a man who occasionally feigns camaraderie with the lower ranks.

"Jay," the mercurial "independent businessman," navigates the murky waters of espionage with a dealer's acumen. Allegiances are commodities, sold to KGB or CIA, devoid of loyalty or patriotism. A cultured connoisseur of modern art and a gourmet chef, his intricate dealings are scrutinized by W.O.O.C. (P.).

The veiled narrator embodies the steadfast, unwavering citizenry of England, a bastion upon which the nation's survival rests. Colonel Ross, with his indefatigable ambition, exemplifies the career soldier reaching for advancement through responsibility. Brigadier Dalby, born of privilege, dabbles in espionage, yet lacks the integrity of old, entangled in clandestine affiliations with a college society and its Communist leanings. Meanwhile, "Jay" stands for no cause but his own, a self-reverent figure within the church of self-interest.