An older, obese man named Mr. Campaspe sits on a train to the beach across from his wife, Pola, and her young lover Otto. He discovered their affair through careful questioning the day before, but instead of breaking off his relationship with his despotic, unfaithful wife, he suggested a trip to the beach instead. Mr. Campaspe has always loved the water, and often spends the entire duration under the waves to avoid his insecurity at exposing his body to bystanders. Now, as Pola and Otto laugh at him and accuse him of being a poor swimmer in comparison to the latter athlete, he begins to fear undressing and exposing his weight in front of Otto.  When the trio arrive at the beach, they head to a locker to change. Otto and Mr. Campaspe go in to the tight space together, and although the younger man offers to wait to give them each more space, Mr. Campaspe suddenly says no and undresses in front of him. After the ensuing awkwardness, in which Mr. Campaspe’s shame of his body transfers to Otto, Ottopunches another young man for laughing at his companion’s obesity. Mr. Campaspe challenges Otto to a race in the water, and the two are off, swimming farther out into the ocean than anyone can reach. Mr. Campaspe is unbeatable in the water, and eventually Otto tires and calls out to him for help getting back to shore. Instead, Mr. Campaspe drowns him. He then starts to swim back to shore, but sees that men are rushing into the water to help a drowning figure and is terrified they saw his crime. The tide is also now pulling against him, and finally he tires of fighting himself and swims out farther to where his body no longer feels heavy at all.