A Field in England

Fleeing the aftermath of a battle in the English civil war, Whitehead, a nervous Royalist and former assistant to a late alchemist, finds himself in the company of three simple-minded, good-natured Roundhead recruits who are less interested in continuing the battle than finding the nearest ale-house. They encounter the bullying – and armed – O’Neil, who is also in the employment of the alchemist and has stolen his papers, forcing Whitehead to divine for gold in the field. Whitehead locates a metal box and the begins digging, but greed, fear, the need for self-preservation, and an accidental meal of ‘magic’ mushrooms means that death will soon be visiting the field – or will it?