Gortai grows up through the troubles without actually being 'involved' (hence the Cloud Cuckoo reference), having his own war to deal with at home with a violent alcoholic gambler for a father; and a mother who, rather than respond proactively to the situation and get the heck out, tends towards projection upon Gortai, the paternal grandmother, and anyone else fit to blame. Together with the unavoidable, if peripheral trauma infused by the chaos of the armed struggle in Northern Ireland, this catalyzes a behavioural profile which lands Gortai before a psychiatric tribunal arranged by employers. He is terrified of the possible outcome and distrustful of doctors commissioned by the Civil Service, his employer, having seen how tainted their reports can be. Throughout the interview he is transported back through a shambles of memories, cued by certain probing prompts by the psychiatrist. He lives these again interrupted by regrets and stories heard about his grandfather and his travails - finding connections with them. Rather than having the desired effect of exorcism or catharsis, Gortai must face a greater nightmare.