The trial of Heathfield Halliday ("Hal"), a young Scottish environmentalist follows his confrontation with the multinational mining syndicates which operate illegally in the Peruvian Andes. The threat to the wild life and the continual destruction of the rich heritage of the Amazon forest spark his crusade against them while the Peruvian authorities prefer not to take action. With his supporters, a carefully planned strategy ends almost in tragedy. He is repatriated to face trial in Scotland under international law where he shares a gaol cell with Macrory, a robust tough-talking Scot with a soft heart and who protects him from the prison culture of violence. Both their cases are defended by a young lawyer, Ms Price, whose smart legal savvy steers the way through the dubious tactics of the prosecution. The court sequences are conducted in the banter of the courtroom and with some humour. The lives of the two cellmates remain intertwined beyond the gates of prison, and, in a surprise ending Ms Price ties the knot with one of them.