The story opens with the Flaxman Circus playing in Craighferris, Ireland. As far as I can tell, Flaxman Circus and Craighferris are both fictional creations for the story. Page 3 of the story indicates Craighferris is located in southern Ireland.

Straker speculates that the aliens were interested in obtaining Mermoda from the circus for his mind reading skills, to carry on their own telepathic development.

SHADO uses the amnesia drug on a fairly large number of people in this story to make them forget seeing the UFO possessed by the circus and the alien that later emerged; the implication is that both circus employees and guests were treated.