Three Sydneysiders muddle through a comedy of errors, discovering their vulnerabilities and foibles. This is a darkly amusing series of novellas. Read them as distinct stories or as a suite. Sybil's Unrest Sybil is stuck in her bourgeois, mopey rut with a horrible husband, Frank. Her current reading material, Jane Austen's Emma, is offering some guidance—or is it? Her world turns pear-shaped when she runs to the aid of an injured young man, Nick. She may avoid the bunkers, but can she keep clear of the rough? The Occidental David has taken to drinking and brooding in the company of his only friend. Is Frank a friend? Arrangements are made to travel overseas, but he retreats to an odd city hotel instead. Bewildered From Plunder's point of view, any kind of social interaction is invariably disappointing. A boozy dinner party quickly goes belly-up. Oh, and what's this about bees? The protagonists cross each other's paths over one tragic, crazy, ultimately redemptive day.