Battles, conspiracies, intrigues, assassination attempts, duels, murders, and robberies—criminal and political investigation… At the center of tangled and “sharp” events is the ring of Judas Iscariot, which passes through the centuries from one owner to another—from a Roman legionary to a Rostov raider of the 1920s, and then to a responsible NKVD officer of the 1930s. It is endowed with a dark power and at first brings its owner luck, but later demands betrayal—and in the end leads to a painful death. But what kind of betrayal is it? Many justify their actions, and even Judas believes that he betrayed no one. And how powerful is this ring? Does it force its owner to act one way rather than another—only the ring?