Georges Nail lives in Parc. He loves his wife, his son, and his home. He goes to work in the morning and to church on Sundays. Paul Hammer is rich and lonely. Torn between his severe judgment of the world and his desire to be part of it, Hammer moves to Parc. Nail sees this as an opportunity for a sincere friendship. Hammer sees this as a new reason for living: crucify the ideal of the happy western man and its incarnation in the person of Georges Nail. A nail is the perfect victim for a hammer.