The opening of the novel introduces the unnamed American sailor, recounting his recent voyage from New Orleans to Antwerp aboard the S.S. Tuscaloosa. After missing his ship's departure, he becomes trapped in a Kafkaesque maze of police interrogations, detention, and forced border crossings, all made worse by his lack of proper identification or seaman’s papers. The narrative, laced with dry humor and irony, follows his attempts to find work or assistance, the indifference and coldness of officials, and the camaraderie (and occasional generosity) of ordinary people. From Antwerp to Rotterdam and across borders, the protagonist’s predicament illustrates the vulnerability and invisibility of the working man in a world governed by paperwork and rigid national boundaries. (This is an automatically generated summary.)