"Four men conspire to defeat a despised opponent by a ruthless act of violence: they will fire a missile into a crowded conference room on the day of an important meeting. Maxwell, a hero of the old guard, volunteers to sacrifice himself for the plan. Then Maxwell meets Fletcher, an idealist with a 'Compromise Proposal' designed to resolve all conflicts. Maxwell regards the Compromise as hopeless, but he develops a liking for Fletcher--a distressing fact when Maxwell learns that, if the conspiracy proceeds, young Fletcher will be among the dead. As the scheme spins wildly into complication, the plotters descend into suspicion, bloodlust and raucous infighting, while Fletcher is drawn, inexorably, into the lion's den"--Back cover.