Museum employee Trofimov studies the history of a strange artifact - a ring made of unknown metal and with an unknown stone, which, according to legend, belonged to Judas and has magical properties. Meanwhile, life is seething in the criminal world: the thief Student dreams of stealing Monomakh's hat, the hijacker Golovan is looking for the violator of the thieves' law Urkagan Lyutoy, there is a fierce struggle for power - murders and "showdowns" follow one after another. And in the center of these events is the very ring that really significantly changes the fate of its owners. A few centuries ago, he brought the young sailor Francis Drake the glory of a cruel pirate, chivalry and admiral's uniform, and finally a painful death. Will crime bosses be happier?