The action takes place in the distant future on the planet Borsen, inhabited by the descendants of migrants from Earth, which by that time had practically died as a result of environmental disasters. Borsen has a unique culture in which the fundamental moral principle is the prohibition of self-expression. A person should keep all his experiences to himself; public outpouring of his emotions is an impiety, severely condemned by religion. The very word “I”, “my” are actually equated to curses. At the center of the story is the fate of the prince of one of the small states of this planet - Kinnal Darnval.