Synopsis
Fortnum Roscoe, a young tax lawyer, sits opposite Cooper Hedon on a commuter train heading to a big city. Cooper sees that Fortnum is reading a book about dreams, and tries to share the details of his own recurring dream with Fortnum, who becomes ever more frustrated with Cooper's interruption to his morning reading. Cooper shares his theory that dreams and reality are not mixed, since he was killed in his recurring dream which felt so real that he felt conscious while dreaming. Much to Fortnum's irritation, Cooper expands on this alternate dream life:
He explains how he was living a life devoid of responsibility with his partner Bella, in a secluded, luxury compound. One night, whilst at its cabaret, the Inspector of the new totalitarian regime The Circle; disrupts the evening. Terrified of the threat of war, the attendees are persuaded to join The Circle after listening to a speech by its leader Johnson Evesham. Bella tries to confront the Inspector, and ends up having to run into hiding with Cooper. Bella desperately tries to convince Cooper to join the resistance against Johnson. Cooper is not convinced. Suddenly, huge planes and battleships approach, and bombing begins. Bella is shot in crossfire and bleeds out in Cooper's arms.
あらすじ
「大都市へ向かう通勤電車の中。若い税理士フォートナムは見知らぬ男クーパーに、その本は夢についての本かと問われる。訝しむフォートナム。クーパーは、夢と現実が入り混じることはないか、自分は夢の中で殺された、別の時間に生きていたのだと畳みかける。
クーパーは美しく聡明な妻ベラと新婚生活を送っていた。ダンスホールへ現れたインスペクターの扇動で、若者たちは戦争への恐怖を煽られ、ジョンソン率いる一派にあっけなく取り込まれてしまう。敢然と立ち向かおうとするベラ。宥めるクーパーを、ベラは自由を求め戦おうと必死で説得する。やがて巨大な飛行機や戦艦が近づき、興奮が渦巻く中、爆撃が始まる。ベラが撃たれ、クーパーの腕の中で息絶える。」