Georg Potyka, an Austrian civil servant in the diplomatic service, has written a novel about a fictional colleague, Leopold Navratil. Since boyhood, Navratil has been emboldened by his fantasy to fight evil and strive for good. An unspoken wager with a comrade is to determine which of them remains honourable to the end. However, to avoid conflict within the Third Reich, Navratil must struggle with his conscience and attempt to avoid compromising his ideals, as represented by the wager, while still safeguarding his family and his own existence. Though Leopold Navratil survives the war, he does not survive the peace.