Achilles, a man in his forties, has just buried his parents. He likes to sit on the beach below his house and watch the passing ships heading for the high seas. So much so that one evening he falls asleep sitting on his chair with both feet firmly buried in the sand. However, when he awakes he is unable to move: during the night he has literally taken root. As a huge storm brews over his island, a seagull flies towards him. The seagull, which can talk, informs Achilles on which day of the week he will die: a Tuesday. But which one? That's the question. Fortunately today is a Wednesday. The tide is rising and will soon flood the beach. If the seagull is telling the truth Achilles needs to uproot himself quickly to avoid drowning. It would appear that the time has come for him to cease contemplating passing ships...