This study of human relationships begins with civil servant Henry Sitchell being recalled from India to post-war Wales for the funeral of his wife. Here he confronts his 12-year-old son Clive for the first time in five years, and a process of painful readjustment begins. Henry, a man out of his time, epitomises the breed which flourished under the British Raj. Clive is a sensitive, lonely boy who lives in a world apart. Their troubled relationship reaches a dramatic climax which forces both to confront their pain and grief.