Elizabeth and William have two children, Valerian and Titus, but it is the latter who displays literary talent well beyond his years. William takes Titus's compositions and writing to his friend, and together they marvel at the passages that sharply contrast the tender age of their writer. The friend has known William and Elizabeth for many years, but the one subject they never talk about is Elizabeth's brother, Oreste. The only information they will divulge is that he is a peculiar individual who drinks a lot and is always convinced that his manuscripts have been stolen - not physically, but telepathically - by someone else. One morning, the entire household is disturbed because a letter has come from Oreste, announcing his intention to visit. The friend encounters Oreste first; he has driven up the mountain with his entire household. As the two walk to Elizabeth and William's house, Oreste reveals that his work has been consistently vanishing, and he didn't know where to until he saw his own poems in a journal published under young Titus's name. A bitter confrontation occurs. The friend is initially sceptical of Oreste's claims, but when the latter mentions that he has written about Mahler's symphonies and lizard tails, he is shocked; Titus had written about the very same topics. To prevent further distress, Titus stays at the friend's house, writing his book before Oreste can put a stop to it. Oreste, on the other hand, feigns indifference and begins to write a different story - a children's tale about cats. The friend goes home, worried about Titus - and learns with great shock that the child is also suddenly writing about talking cats. Titus mentions that he struggles to find an ending to his story - the friend tries to draw the child away from writing, but fails. Later that day, Titus is discovered missing. His story is missing, but the remaining blotting paper reveals his intention to 'eavesdrop' on the talking cats by hanging over the side of the mountain with a rope. The friend rushes to the cliff, but is too late - Titus's corpse lies at the bottom, crushed and surrounded by circling vultures. When he returns to his house, he finds Oreste smiling evilly and burning the pages of Titus's writing, saying that neither he nor the boy will need it again.