Towards the end of his life, Einstein was convinced that if he could just come up with his elusive unified field theory - his famed "theory of everything" - he could amalgamate his ideas - space with mass, mass with sound, sound with light, light with love, love with hate, terror with fear - everything. But as his visitor, Bucky, points out - how can he unify the cosmos when he can't even unify his socks!

The real bogey getting between Albert and lucidity is altogether more personal and grave. Albert has been negligent of his two sons since he abandoned them and his wife years ago for another woman. Eduard is schizophrenic and Hans is dismayed that all communications from Albert are chiding or correctional in tone and that he hasn't visited for many years. Perhaps more hurtful, as the letter that Bucky brings makes clear, the ageing, ever-more eccentric, genius has now cut both boys out of his will.

The well-intentioned Bucky tries to find out why this is as, surely, Albert should move now to rectify the wrongs before he dies?