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The piece recounts an anecdote from the author's youth in the Polish town of Poznań, about a prank organised by some university students, with the author's help. The prank involved passing off a group of the students as visiting diplomats from a fictitious foreign country, 'Bezludzystan' (Nopeoplestan). It fooled the city's authorities and a local newspaper.
The piece recounts the story of Vera Tchernicheff, a pre-war Russian actress who during the German occupation of Paris set up a prison in her house where Gestapo police tortured victims with her participation. The historical accuracy of the story is unclear.
