A narrator staying at a high Alpine winter resort befriends the enigmatic Dr. Feng and becomes drawn into the lively social life of skiing, skating, music and convivial company. Beneath the festive surface, a sequence of strange events — including a honeymooning couple's arrival, unexplained disappearances, whispered suspicions and clandestine meetings — prompts the pair to investigate. Their inquiries expose counterplots, secret identities and a concealed artifact central to the mystery, leading to dramatic disclosures that unravel the web of intrigue while revealing unexpected dimensions of loyalty, suspicion and the old doctor's past and philosophy.