The story revolves around a race of aliens who, in recruiting humans for a group called "Peace Engineers", are actually using Earth as a pawn in an intergalactic war.

[1] At Ryberg Instrument Corporation, engineer Cal Meacham has received a quartet of bead-like devices that are meant to replace the condensers that he ordered.

When he switches on the completed interocitor he is confronted by the appearance on its screen of a man who invites him to join a group called Peace Engineers.

Knowing that he would not refuse the group sends a pilotless airplane to pick him up and take him to a small village and factory complex in a valley north of Phoenix, Arizona.

Cal believes that all of Earth should be participating in the war that the Peace Engineers have somehow gotten us into so he gathers documents and samples, takes a small airplane and flies to Washington.

He explains that the natives could not comprehend the conflict raging around them, but that they can, nonetheless, contribute something to the war effort, such as by building airstrips.

Jones had taken the novel title from a line in Robert Graves' poem, "Darien" ("It is a poet’s privilege and fate/To fall enamoured of the one Muse/Who variously haunts this island earth".)

He is apprised of the great, ageless conflict being waged for the universe, is unable to fend off the threat of the Guarra but turns the tables when he does persuade the Llanna to change their tactics and defend the Earth.