The years 1987 to 1989. Maarten Koning is in early retirement and tries to fill his days with small tasks around the house, long walks with his wife Nicolien, and cycling trips through the vast Dutch landscape. However, the office still holds him captive: before his retirement, he had requested to continue using the desk in the attic for a while – to finish projects, as he tells his colleagues, but in truth, it is more to ease the withdrawal from little elves and midwinter horns. Yet, the atmosphere in the office has changed since Maarten's departure. He feels a sense of unease as he watches a new department head destroy what he has built. Most of his former employees follow the new direction without complaint, if not with enthusiasm. Maarten senses an increasing hostility.