This novel, published posthumously in Russian for the first time and recommended by the master of weird fiction, Jeff VanderMeer, is published for the first time.

Due to a stupid mistake, a young hero ends up on a French galleon. The crew refuses to accept the newcomer, but he is saved from their cruelty by the old cook, Tuan. After the galleon gets stuck in the open ocean, the crew begins to go mad from hunger and thirst. Finally reaching shore, the exhausted heroes realize they have arrived in a mysterious place. Here, the stars do not guide the way, and the ground burns beneath their feet. Only a huge mountain on the horizon promises a chance for freedom. All they need to do is get to the other side…

Most readers, delving deeper into this existential journey, will be shocked by the crushing ending. Michel Bernanos woefully and precisely reveals the essence of suffering and loneliness, motifs that are so relatable to our times. His prose, using economical means, creates a fantastic world in which the romance of wanderings is intricately intertwined with the horror of the unknowable.