Professor of archeology Dmitry Sergeevich Lobov was doing his usual and favorite thing - he led an archaeological expedition in the Novgorod region. Once a local healer came to the camp and said that it was a sin to destroy other people’s graves, but the scientists, of course, did not take these words seriously. Soon after her visit, the burial of a warrior was discovered, and with it a huge sword, a gold Byzantine cup with ornaments, a gold coin with the image of Emperor Constantine and other artifacts. The archaeologists rejoiced, but the workers from a nearby village began to grumble and refused to work further. Lobov had to leave for the city on business, and when he returned, he discovered a terrible picture: the workers had come down with an incomprehensible disease, very reminiscent of smallpox, and several people had already died. And the most valuable gold finds disappeared without a trace...