Davie Hagan's life is changed forever by a mysterious outsider, Stephen Rose; a reject from priest-school, not even the fathers can cope with his strange influence. They send him to stay with his auntie, Crazy Mary. Davie is a local altar boy, intense and intelligent, Stephen quickly dominates his auntie and then turns to young Davie. Beguiled by Stephen's gift to mold clay figures and perhaps even bring them to life, Davie falls headlong under his spell.