This hard-hitting psychological drama swirls around a young Irishman who moves into lodgings in London already occupied by two bigots, one of them Irish and a student who's slumming to research his thesis. Damien is befriended by the student, who appreciates his intellect, and by the student's girlfriend, a devotee of causes and an aspiring journalist. When the IRA mounts a bombing campaign in London, it appears that the enigmatic Damien may be involved. Tension mounts as he remains noncommittal in the face of inquires. Gradually, Damien is drawn into an affair with the student's girlfriend, a lady attracted by the IRA specter. Realizing he has misled those around him, Damien tells her the truth: he's a dispatch clerk with absolutely no IRA ties. Back at the lodging house, misconceptions and resentments explode into sudden violence.