Several stories illustrating expectations about language, its pitfalls, its misuse and its ability to communicate truth, whether in conversation or in print. In a coffee house, two chess-playing buddies argue over the quality of a book. The would-be writer laments to his tablemate that no one ever "writes it the way it is." Two friends read about the elections in the newspaper and complain about the unreliability of words, especially as they apply to election promises. "These people don't really say anything, they just use labels," says one, an utterance that proves prophetic in their friendship later on. Finally, a devoted fan spots his favourite female novelist at a table and assaults her with intimate and probing questions about why she writes and the importance of words.