 The eponymous "slave" is Nicolin, a starving war invalid who takes up the job of ghostwriting for the career politician Obogea.As a result, the profiteering Oblogea becomes a rising star, whereas Nicolin lives in anonymity, his only real friend a former prostitute, Margot; Elvira Obogea, the object of Nicolin's final passion, leaves him for the sporty Raul Mischianu.Again, the novel alludes to real events