Irene, the protagonist, is sixteen years old at the beginning of the novel. She is still in school and playing devious, sometimes harmful psychological games with the lives and reputations of her peers. She is attracted to a variety of people — her girlfriend, boys, teachers and Ernst. She is a street-wise adolescent who "knows what things cost." She is still living at home with her parents — Rose, an aging, romantic, fluffy person who married so she would never have to work again and Casimir, a somewhat cold, finicky accountant. She has no real ambitions or goals. She is drifting.

Ernst Neumann is introduced as Ernst Nooman (is that no-man or new man?) by Rose who tells her daughter that he is an old friend. He becomes the means of escape for Irene. He works for Inter Trans-Temporal and Irene soon convinces him to help her.

He...