Lute, a worker at the National Bolt and Rivet Factory, lives in an environmentally destructive industrial country, where large farms, mines, and factories populate its areas. Lute is itching for a much-needed revolution to erupt. He is part of an underground revolutionary organization, with two other members in his unit besides himself. During meetings, they study previous revolutions in detail. One member from Lute's unit secretly keeps in contact with other revolutionary groups, and all revolutionary units from the country are indirectly linked to assure maximum secrecy.   Lute meets a new coworker one day named Janus, who is shocked by the working conditions. At the factory, the employees work for eight hours without stopping for lunch because of the crucial movement of hot metal. The workers eat a sandwich with one hand and work the machine with the other. Janus offers for the company to hire "spell-men" to implement eating periods, ease the work pace, and improve the unemployment rates. Janus insists that the workers get together and make demands because the country relies on their labor. Lute does not comment in case Janus has been hired to catch revolutionaries. His group inquires among other cells for information about Janus. After six months, word comes back that no one knows him. The men decide to be more cautious around him. In the meantime, Janus circulates a petition that asks for a lunch hour. Lute feels conflicted but decides not to sign it to prevent looking suspicious. The general superintendent, Ollal, asked Lute about the petition and what he thinks of Janus. In fear of being discovered as a revolutionary, Lute tells Ollal that Janus is a good worker but can be radical. Ollal says he will pass the idea of the lunch hours to his boss but finds it difficult because of recent high costs on new machinery to keep up with foreign powers.   Ollal is also part of a revolutionary organization with men in key positions who have access to the city's electricity and transportation systems. Ollal is hesitant to relay the lunch hours demand because he does not want to be suspected. He feels he has to play his part as a superintendent. He worries Janus was planted by his boss to expose his revolutionary connections. He passes the petition to his boss simply as evidence of the workers' sentiments. Dirk, Ollal's boss and the company owner, is also a revolutionary. He goes into a secret vault nightly to read about communism. He secretly plotted the revolution and even developed a new science, the calculus of sociology. When Ollal relays the petition to him, Dirk passively says he will look into the issue. He mentioned the petition to the Prime Minister, who is secretly a liberal and feels that a revolution is inevitable. However, he believes he still needs to abide by his role, arresting Janus and trying him for treason. Janus cannot prove his father is not a foreigner, so he is sentenced to death.   The country's conservatives seek to use Janus as a weapon against the Prime Minister and appeal to the King for a stay of execution. The King wrote his university thesis on social issues and secretly hopes for a revolution to come. He feels that if he pardons Janus the country will immediately start a revolution but is unsure if they are even ready for one. He also questions whether the people are unified enough for one. The King's girlfriend, a common blues singer, tells him that the people will revolt in either case. If he pardons Janus, he will have an extreme assumption of power since the country is a constitutional monarchy, and if he doesn't, he will have killed an important revolutionary leader, which will also cause a revolt. The King decides not to pardon Janus, and he is beheaded the following morning.   Lute's organization disbands after the execution because they feel the now inevitable revolt will make it difficult for them to meet. Ollal works on speeding up production for the company to make himself less suspicious while secretly hastening the revolution. Dirk is building a yacht to leave for a deserted island when the revolution erupts. Meanwhile, the wives of all the factory workers wake up early to make their husband's sandwiches to be eaten with one hand as they work on the machines.