In Basel, a man meets a woman who calls herself Nadine. She speaks with an accent and mentions that she is the companion of a writer, William Hedges, who is currently working on a novel based on the architectural structure, the Goetheanum. The man delights in speaking to Nadine and seeing the museums with her. He hopes that her relationship with Hedges will end so that they can start something new. One day, the man runs into Hedges. They speak, unable to move past their mutual love for Nadine. Hedges reveals that Nadine lied about her origin, but the fact keeps neither man from loving her. Hedges leaves, but he calls later that night, begging the man to talk to Nadine. The man replies truthfully, saying that Nadine is not there. The man goes out onto the street to walk, alone. Later, he learns that the Goetheanum as Nadine had shown it to him in a photograph did not exist. The dome had collapsed, and a new structure, a replica, took its place.