In November 1918, on a train traveling from Tiflis to Kars, Armenian soldiers returning from the war meet a civilian bound for Erzurum. He speaks of the duty to defend the homeland and declares that he is ready to fight on the front lines. When the passengers warn of possible danger along the way, his resolve vanishes. The civilian returns to Tiflis, using an important document as his excuse. This wartime episode ironically exposes the gap between patriotic words and actual behavior.