The state has been recently taken over & is being run by the tyrannical & philistine ' Average Man' party Under the slogans of equality & happiness for all it has done away with individualism & freedom of thought Only John Krug a brilliant philosopher stands up to the regime His antagonist the leader of the new party is his old school enemy Paduk
- known as the ' Toad' Grieving over his wife's recent death Krug is at first dismissive of Paduk's activities & sees no threat in them But the sinister machine which Paduk has set in motion may prove stronger than the individual stronger even than the grotesque ' Toad' himself