Gordo Clement arrives in a forest in Toronto in 1984, right after he was killed by archers in 12th C. feudal Japan. Or so he believes. When Gordo is invited to a bluegrass concert, he recognizes traits of the samurai in the players, and the music pulls him back to the moment he crossed over in time. Still in a reverie from the concert, he comes upon Heather, a single mother, who is set upon by a gang of men. Gordo appears out of the shadows and fights off her attackers like a martial arts master.

Struggling to feel at home in a place he knows as the City, Gordo is contacted by a doctor purporting to be treating him for his delusions. Shaken, Gordo suspects that the doctor is not who he says he is. Gordo befriends Heather and begins to tell her a story of a young man training to be a samurai. He doesn't reveal that it's his story, as he fears that she will call the authorities to take Gordo away to a mental institution. While hiding his true identity from his friends, Gordo learns that the doctor is a fellow time-traveler who knows how to get back to the 12th C. Gordo is elated at the thought of returning home, until he understands that for the crossover to happen someone must die.