The great Alexander Bussard d’Eparvier, vice president of the state council under the July government, left his heirs a three-story mansion and a rich library. Rene d’Eparvier, the worthy grandson of the famous grandfather, replenished the precious collection as much as he could. In 1895, he appointed the curator of the library of Julien Sariett, at the same time making him the mentor of his eldest son, Maurice. Mr. Sariett was imbued with tremulous but jealous love for the library. Anyone who took with him the most insignificant little book, tore the soul of the archivist. He was ready to bear any insult and even dishonor, if only to preserve the invaluable volumes. And thanks to his zeal, the library d'Eparvier for sixteen years has not lost a single leaf.

But on September 9, 1912, the fate of the keeper struck a terrible blow: on the table in a shapeless pile lay books removed from the shelves by someone's sacrilegious hand. A mysterious force rampaged in the sanctuary for several months. Mr. Sariette lost his sleep and appetite, trying to track down intruders. Obviously, they were Freemasons - a friend of the Abbot Patouille family argued that it was they, together with the Jews, who plot the complete destruction of the Christian world. The unfortunate archivist was afraid of the insidious sons of Hiram, but the love for the library was stronger, and he decided to ambush the criminals. At night, a mysterious robber hit him on the head with a thick tome, and from that day things went even worse - books began to disappear with frightening speed. Finally, they showed up in the outbuilding where the young d'Eparvier lived.

Maurice could not be suspected of an excessive desire for knowledge. From an early age he managed to avoid any mental effort, and Abbot Patuil said that this young man received the benefits of a Christian upbringing. Keeping the gallant traditions of his nation, Maurice meekly demolished the outright profligacy of the maids and the tearful adoration of secular ladies. But a mysterious force intervened in his life in the most delicate way: when he indulged in innocent passion in the arms of the pretty Gilbert Des’Aubel, a ghostly shadow of a naked man appeared in the room. The stranger introduced himself as the guardian angel of Maurice and said that in heaven he was called Abdiel, and "in the world" - Arkady. He went to say goodbye, because he had lost faith, having studied the treasures of human thought in the library d'Eparvv. In vain Maurice begged the angel to disembodiment and again become a pure spirit. Arkady firmly decided to join his brethren who declared war on the heavenly tyrant Ialdavaoth, whom people mistakenly consider a single god, while he is just a vain and ignorant demiurge.

The rebellious angel got a job at a print shop. He was impatient to begin to realize the great plan, and he was the herds of looking for comrades. Some of them could not resist the temptations of the world: for example, the archangel Mirar, who became the musician Theophile Bele, fell in love with the cafe singer Bushushta and turned into a despicable pacifist. On the contrary, the archangel Ituriid, known as the Russian nihilist Zita, inflamed with even greater hatred for the kingdom of heaven, torn apart by class contradictions. Cherubim Istar, passionately loving humanity, began to produce elegant portable bombs in order to erect a bright city of joy and happiness on the ruins of the infamous old world. Participants in the conspiracy usually gathered at Theophilus, and Bushott, with undisguised disgust, gave them tea. In moments of despondency and sorrow, Arkady visited Nektarii, the gardener, with Zita. This still strong, ruddy old man was the closest associate of Lucifer and eagerly told the young about the first rebellion of the angels. When he brad a flute in his hands, birds flocked to him and wild animals came running. Zita and Arkady listened to divine music, and it seemed to them that They immediately heed the muses, and all nature, and man.

Maurice d’Eparves, having lost his guardian angel, lost his former gaiety, and even carnal pleasures ceased to please him. Parents were alarmed, and Abbot Patuille said that the boy was in a spiritual crisis. Indeed, Maurice placed an ad in the newspaper, urging Arkady to return, but the angel, absorbed in the revolutionary struggle, did not respond. Fortunetellers and soothsayers were also powerless to help Maurice. Then the young man began to go around the shelters and pubs, where every rabble was going, mainly nihilists and anarchists. During these wanderings, Maurice made a pleasant acquaintance with a little girl named Bushotta, at whom he met his beloved angel. Since Arkady categorically refused to fulfill his heavenly duties, Maurice decided to return the erring friend to the true path and to begin with he brought him to the restaurant there are oysters. Having learned about the suspicious acquaintances of his son, René d'Eparvie drove the unworthy offspring out of the house. Maurice had to move to a bachelor’s apartment. According to his negligence, a volume of Lucretius with Voltaire's notes appeared in the hands of the greedy and cunning antiquary Ginardona.

Arkady settled at Maurice, to whom Gilbert was still visiting. On the memorable night of his departure, the angel made an indelible impression on her. Arkady, becoming a man, learned human habits - in other words, desired his neighbor’s wife. Offended by such treachery, Maurice broke up with Gilbert and challenged Arkady to a duel, although the angel tried to explain to him that he had preserved heavenly invulnerability. As a result, Maurice was wounded in the arm, and Arkady and Gilbert surrounded him with touching concern. All three regained their lost innocence, and Arkady completely forgot about the old tyrant in heaven, but Zita appeared with the news that the rebellious angels were ready to fall upon the porphyry palace of Ialdavaoth.

The chairman of the Council of Ministers dreamed of revealing some terrible conspiracy to please a people full of love for solid power. The fallen angels were established behind the scenes. Having drunk hard at the next meeting, Arkady, Istar and Maurice got into a skirmish with the police. Istar threw his famous bomb, from which the earth shook, gas lamps went out and several houses collapsed. The next day, all the newspapers shouted about the unheard-of crime of the anarchists, freemasons and syndicalists. Soon Maurice d’Eparvier and Bushott's songwriter were arrested. Paris froze in painful perplexity. Everyone knew that young Maurice had broken with his liberal father because of his royalist convictions. Undoubtedly, they tried to compromise the courageous young man. Abbot Patuil vouched for him, as for himself. Informed people said that this was the revenge of the Jews, because Maurice was a recognized anti-Semite. Catholic youth staged a protest. The victim of the stipulation was immediately released, and Rene d'Eparvier personally took his son home. Maurice's triumphant return was somewhat overshadowed by a sad incident: Mr. Sariett, strangling Ginardon in a fit of rage, fell into violent insanity and began to throw books out of the window, and the volume of Lucretius with Voltaire's notes tore into small pieces.

The rebellious angels considered everything that happened to be the signal for the beginning of the uprising. Nectarius, Istar, Zita and Arkady left for the etheric region to ask the great archangel to lead the battle. Over the steep banks of the Ganges, they found the one they were looking for. Satan's beautiful face was full of sadness, for the wisest of angels saw beyond his followers. He promised to give an answer in the morning. At night, he dreamed that the fortress of Ialdavaoth fell. In three times the holy city burst a rebellious army, and fearless Michael lowered his fire sword at the feet of the triumph. Then Satan proclaimed himself God, and the Most High was cast into hell. The new lord of heaven began to revel in praises and worship, while the proud unbroken Ialdavaoth languished in fiery hell. The face of the exile was illuminated by the light of wisdom, and his enormous shadow enveloped the planet with a gentle twilight of love. Lucifer woke up in a cold sweat. Calling on faithful companions, he announced that the defeated god would turn to Satan, and the victorious Satan would become a god. It is necessary to destroy Ialdavaoth in their own hearts, having overcome ignorance and fear.