In which a watchful narrator recounts the uneasy confinement of a disturbed man named Stovey, whose strange behaviour and secret designs keep his companion on edge, guarded by an ever-vigilant attendant and punctuated by an uncanny, protective presence of a large brindled dog. Meanwhile, the narrative shifts to the tale of a horse named Thurinda and her unlikely rider Hordene, whose fortunes intertwine with high-stakes racing and subtle suspicions among the racing fraternity.