A somewhat confused and strange young inventor, named Gustavo, is arrested by the police accused of being a terrorist. Through his statements we will know the truth of the facts. During his childhood he discovers that his father wants to escape to a place called Vesta aboard a spaceship made by himself. However, during the journey he loses his life. Now thirty years old, Gustavo, after a series of events, will try to repeat his father's journey.
Pedro Liniers, a literature teacher, comes back to Madrid after his wife has just left him. Meanwhile, Aurora Villalba, came to Spain from Argentina, running away from the militaries, she has a special way of living her own way. Pedro wants to get back the job as a teacher through an old friend, Bruno Baena, who is the head master of the school. Aurora starts going to Pedro's classes. Pedro will become "El hombre de moda", very soon.
Three old schoolmates, who in their time as students had formed a kind of secret society called The Black Hand, in order to embitter teachers' lives, meet again years later with very different lives. One is a dad's son who is distracted as best he can; another has become a writer of espionage novels and is persecuted by the CIA, and the third leads an indolent life without further ado. The reunion of the three friends will make the society of La Mano Negra revive.
The Mona Lisa loses her famous smile, and so does the rest of the world.