Sir Peter, chillingly affable chief executive of UKM, a big British corporation, learns that the Soviet Union’s chief scientists are in London with government credit to spend. He tries to sell them a tyre-production plant, based in the Ukraine, which will unshackle UKM from the unions at home. But at the negotiating table, it fast becomes apparent that the Soviets are more interested in the laser technology UKM employ to vulcanise their tyres.