The Zone also has its own aristocracy. And one of its most prominent representatives is the young stalker Marquis. He does not belong to any clan. He does not look for artifacts and does not chase Happiness. His profession is to save others from the clutches of death: free miners, military men, peacekeepers, and tourists. Maybe that’s why there are legends about his luck and invulnerability among the people entrenched around the Zone?.. But now someone is after the Marquis’s soul. Someone is pursuing him - step by step, year after year. And when a terrible, fierce winter comes to the Zone, burying all the artifacts under the snow and constantly generating new emissions, the confrontation between the Marquis and his pursuers reaches a decisive stage...