A Dr. Jekyll-Mr. Hyde-tale of sorts. Set within the international circles of Brussels and expanding over a period of four and a half years, the novel depicts a young woman's gradual descent into alcohol addiction and her strategies to camouflage her double life. She struggles to escape the addiction's ever-tighter grip, with the help of a well-known fellowship, family and friends, the symbolism conveyed through operas and other music, as well as philosophical teachings from antiquity - Stoicism and Epicureanism. The text contains an analysis of the fellowship's 12-step programme based on the Christian faith and the attempt to create a revised, strictly secular 8-step programme based on ancient philosophical teachings.