Narrated in the first person by a prisoner of war, Pablo Ibbieta, the story begins abruptly as he faces his sentencing hearing. He joins other prisoners in a bright room and one by one they are brought up to a table where four military men question them about their name and occupation. Sometimes they ask if the prisoner was involved in the sabotage of munitions, or for their whereabouts during the attack. Ibbieta notes that the men do not seem to be listening to the answers, but write notes on the desk in front of them.

The men ask a man Ibbieta knows as Tom if he has been involved with the International Brigade. He does not deny it because they have already found the papers in his coat. A very young man, known to Ibbieta as Juan, assures the men that his brother was...