One day the ghoul Persephonius will say to Sudar: “With your purely peaceful work, Nepeny Zazerkalyevich, too often they want to kill you.” And he will be absolutely right. Dubious proposals, a threat to life, a challenge to a duel - this is what the discovery made by the young optographer brought. But all this is by no means a reason to be despondent, because there is a way out of every situation if you have true friends nearby, and scientific magic, despite its unexpected consequences, remains an incredibly interesting activity. And very useful: when the peaceful provincial Sprosonsk is visited by the mysterious ghost Ukhokusai, it is the latest optography that gives hope for salvation.