The accidental discovery by an archaeologist in Almeria of an ancient manuscript that turns out to be a formula for a virulent poison, much deadlier than The Black Death or The Spanish Lady, brings together a group of people who have a grudge against the Establishment and are not averse to use what they have found for fiscal benefit. After deciphering the hieroglyphics the group produce a small sample of the poison and after successfully testing it on small communities in Mexico and France try to blackmail the British Government, but they are dismissed as harmless cranks. This forces the...