Alfredo Traps, the only representative of Hephaeston in Europe, drives through a small village and wonders how he will deal with his business partner, who wants to extend the extra five percent from him. His car, the brand new Studebaker, stalls near the car repair shop. He leaves the car to the mechanic to pick it up the next morning, and sets off for the night at the village hotel.

All hotels, however, are occupied by members of the livestock union. On the advice of the owner of one of them, Traps goes to the house of Mr. Verge, who takes the guests. Judge Verge willingly agrees to shelter him for the night, and for free. There are guests in the house of the judge, retired servants of the law: prosecutor Tson, lawyer Kummer, Mr. Pile. Judge Verge asks his maid Simon not to prepare a room for the guest yet, since each guest in his house occupies a room depending on his character, and he has not yet managed to get to know the character of Traps. The judge invites Traps to the table, where a sumptuous dinner is served. He informs Traps that he had done a great service to him and his guests, and asked him to take part in their game. They play in their former professions, that is, in court. Usually they repeat the famous historical processes: the trial of Socrates, the trial of Joan of Arc, the case of Dreyfus and so on. However, they get better when they play with a living object, that is, when guests put themselves at their disposal. Traps agrees to take part in their game in the only free role - in the role of the accused. True, at first he asked in surprise what crime he had committed. He is told that this is insignificant, there will always be a crime. Kummer’s lawyer, who is going to play the role of Traps’ advocate, asks him to go to the dining room with him before the “opening” of the trial. He tells him more about the prosecutor, who was once a world celebrity, about the judge, who at one time was considered strict and even pedantic, and asks to trust him and tell in detail about his crime. Traps assures the lawyer that he did not commit any crime. The lawyer warns against chatter and asks to weigh his every word.

The trial begins at the same time as the dinner, which opens with tortoise soup, followed by trout, Brussels salad, mushrooms in sour cream and other delicacies. During interrogation, Traps reports that he is forty-five years old and is the main representative of the company. Just a year ago, he had an old car, a Citroen, and now a Studebaker, an extra model. He used to be an ordinary textile salesman. He is married, has four children. His youth was severe. He was born in the family of a factory worker. I was able to finish only elementary school. Then for ten years he peddled and walked from house to house with a suitcase in his hand. Now he is the only representative of the company producing the best synthetic fabric that alleviates the suffering of rheumatics, perfectly suitable for both parachutes and piquant women's nightgowns. This post was not easy for him. Previously, I had to dump the old Gigas, his boss, who died last year from a heart attack.

The prosecutor is extremely pleased that he was finally able to unearth the dead man. He also hopes to discover the murder that Traps committed to everyone's pleasure.

The lawyer asks Traps, surprised that the interrogation, it turns out, has already begun, to go out with him to smoke in the garden. In his opinion, Traps is doing everything to lose the process. The lawyer tells him why he and his friends decided to start this game. Upon resignation, these servants of the law were a little bewildered when they found themselves in a new role for themselves as pensioners, without any activities other than the usual senile joys. When they started playing this game, they immediately perked up. They play this game every week with the guests of the judge. Sometimes it's street vendors, sometimes vacationers. The possibility of the death penalty, which state justice has abolished, makes their game incredibly fun. They even have an executioner - this is Mr. Pile. Before retiring, he was one of the most talented craftsmen in one of the neighboring countries. Traps is suddenly frightened. Then he bursts out laughing and insists that without the executioner, dinner would have been much less fun and exciting. Suddenly Traps hears someone scream. The lawyer tells him that this is Tobias, who poisoned his wife and five years ago was sentenced by Judge Verge to life imprisonment. Since then, he lives in a room specially reserved for life prisoners as a guest. Lawyer asks Traps to admit, did he really kill Gigas? Traps says he has nothing to do with it. He expresses his assumption about the purpose of the game, which, in his opinion, is to make the person terrified, the game seems to be a reality, and the accused would ask himself if he is indeed a criminal. But he is innocent of the death of an old crook.

They return to the dining room. They are met by the noise of voices and laughter. Interrogation resumes. Traps reports that Gigas died of a heart attack. He also admits that he learned about his heart condition from his wife, with whom he had something. Gigas often traveled and clearly neglected his very seductive wife. Therefore, from time to time, Traps had to portray a comforter. After the death of Gigas, he no longer visited this lady. I did not want to compromise the widow. For a judge, his words are tantamount to admitting his own guilt. Further, the prosecutor makes an accusatory speech and so skillfully and faithfully recreates the course of events that Traps can only shrug his hands in surprise at the sight of the sagacity of the prosecutor. The prosecutor talks about Gigas, that the deceased was a man going ahead, the means that he used were sometimes not very clean. In public, he played the role of a healthy, prosperous businessman. Gigas was convinced of the loyalty of his wife, but, trying to succeed in business, he began to neglect this woman. He was deeply struck by the news of his wife’s infidelity. His heart could not withstand the cruel blow that was conceived and executed by Traps, who made sure that the news of his wife's betrayal would certainly reach his ears. In a conversation with the prosecutor, Traps finally looks the truth in the eye and admits, to the indignation of his lawyer, that he really is a killer, and insists on it. He is sentenced to death.

The executioner Pile takes him to the room intended for him, where he sees the guillotine from the judge’s collection, and he is seized with horror, similar to that which occurs for criminals before real execution. However, Pile puts Traps in bed, and he instantly falls asleep. Waking up in the morning, Traps has breakfast, gets into his car and, as if nothing had happened, with the same thoughts about his business partner that his head was occupied the day before before the car broke down, leaves the village. He recalls yesterday's supper and trial as the extravagant quirk of retirees, wondering at himself that he imagines himself to be a murderer.