Location: the Balkans, the Morava, a tributary of the Danube, a houseboat on the river. Time: one night, from late evening until the dawn of day. Characters: An author, a former one, invites his friends, seven in total, to the hotel ship, his enclave, where he retreated a decade ago. The first surprise the acquaintances experience upon entering the boat: the ex-author, notorious for his distance from women, greets them in the company of an employee, companion, or lover. After dinner, a long narrative follows, dominated by the author's voice, occasionally interspersed with the voices of the other male attendees. The story revolves around a recently concluded tour of the boat owner through Western Europe. Was he really fleeing from a danger, perhaps from a woman who threatened him with death?.