Chapter Summaries

Talleyrand offered the Ottoman Empire steamships, weapons, and trade cooperation in exchange for Ottoman resources and closer ties with France. He then proposed the Royal Tunis Legion as instructors for the Sultan’s new Topjis army.

• Talleyrand reassured Melek Mehmed that France would protect Mediterranean commerce and offered to sell the Ottomans steamships.
• Melek Mehmed agreed to report the steamship offer to the Sultan, while Talleyrand outlined expanded French exports and requested Ottoman cotton and sugar cane.
• Talleyrand criticized the Russian training of the Topjis and argued that European officers would be unacceptable to the Ottoman Guard Corps.
• Talleyrand named the Royal Tunis Legion as a suitable source of instructors for the Topjis.

Talleyrand persuaded Grand Vizier Melek Mehmed to consider training Ottoman Topjis in Tunis, then negotiated with Sultan Selim III over Ottoman support for France’s struggle against England. Selim agreed to trade access to Syrian and Egyptian goods for French ships, artillery, and army equipment, implicitly recognizing France’s claim over Tunis.

• Talleyrand proposed that Ottoman Topjis train alongside the Tunis Legion in Tunis, with their numbers and pay concealed from the Imperial Guards.
• Melek Mehmed saw the plan as a way to build a force strong enough to control Constantinople, but recognized that it would imply Ottoman acceptance of French rule in Tunis.
• Selim III summoned Talleyrand to Topkapi Palace and asked him to reveal the true purpose of his visit.
• Talleyrand said France wanted to exchange goods for Syrian cotton and Egyptian sugar cane as part of its competition with England.
• Selim III demanded that Ottoman steamships make up at least forty percent of port traffic, a cannon foundry, and French equipment for the Topjis in exchange for France receiving priority rights to sixty percent of Syrian and Egyptian goods.
• Talleyrand concluded that Selim III’s terms signaled the Ottomans’ acceptance of France’s claim over Tunis.

Talleyrand persuaded Selim III to consider using French-equipped Ottoman troops to recover Egypt while supporting Poland against Russia. The chapter ended with Joseph launching the steamship Poroskafi on the Seine.

• Talleyrand secured Ottoman recognition of France’s control over Tunis and negotiated preferential trade terms.
• Talleyrand warned Selim III that Egypt’s Mamluk rulers were divided and urged him to prepare to reclaim the province.
• Talleyrand revealed that Russia was expected to invade Poland and argued that the Ottomans could exploit the distraction to campaign in Egypt.
• Selim III rejected declaring war on Russia but agreed to hear Talleyrand’s plan to send supplies to Poland through the Black Sea and Dnieper River.
• Joseph launched the steamship Poroskafi before a crowd of nobles and reporters on the Seine.

Joseph showcased the Poroskafi at the First Seine River Cargo Ship Race, where its steam power carried it far ahead of the competition. As the ship’s victory became clear, Anne-Marie Herio watched Camellia with renewed jealousy and resentment.

• Joseph boarded the Poroskafi with nobles and attendants, then started the Seine River Cargo Ship Race with a pistol shot.
• The Poroskafi began in the middle of the pack as smaller galleys surged ahead, but the rowers soon tired and the steamship overtook them.
• The Poroskafi maintained a speed of eight and a half knots, leaving all its opponents behind as it traveled toward Rouen.
• Camellia reported on the ship’s condition and cared for the seasick Perna while preparing for the evening banquet.
• Anne-Marie Herio recognized Camellia aboard the ship and seethed over the humiliation and jealousy she had felt since their encounter at Notre-Dame de Paris.

Herio, provoked by Veronique Legris, shoved Camellia overboard from the Poroskafi. On the Seven Birds, Soleil witnessed the fall and alerted Captain Osain.

• Veronique Legris warned Herio to avoid Camellia while slyly inflaming her anger.
• Herio saw Camellia heading toward the stern Warehouse and hid near the wheelhouse.
• Herio rushed up behind Camellia and slammed her over the deck railing into the Seine River.
• Soleil saw someone fall from the Poroskafi and ran to tell Mr. Osain.
• Soleil pointed out the Poroskafi as the Seven Birds crew gathered to respond.

After Camellia Delvaux was pushed into the Seine, Joseph revived her with CPR and ordered an investigation. Soleil identified Herio as the culprit, though Legris’s testimony also implicated her, and Joseph had Herio arrested.

• Bliss ordered the Poroskafi’s crew to rescue Camellia after the Seven Birds signaled that someone had fallen overboard.
• Joseph performed CPR on Camellia, who began breathing again, and Perna took her to recover in the cabin.
• When Camellia said someone had pushed her, Joseph ordered Kexer to find the culprit.
• Soleil arrived from the Seven Birds and said she had seen Camellia being pushed.
• Legris accused Herio, and Soleil identified Herio by her clothing and build.
• Joseph ordered the Personal Guards to lock Herio up.

Joseph learned that Camellia was out of danger and discovered a shipboard signaling method that could improve military communications. The Poroskafi reached Le Havre, where Perna reflected on Joseph’s artificial respiration and resolved to learn the technique.

• Joseph thanked Soleil for rescuing Camellia and confirmed that Herio had no accomplices.
• Captain Bliss demonstrated a shipboard communication method, and Joseph saw its potential for battlefield orders and promised him a special bonus.
• Soleil explained that she was traveling with the Seven Birds because she had bet 400 Francs on it and revealed she was helping Mr. Hatki return to North America.
• The Poroskafi reached Le Havre ahead of the Seven Birds, and Perna found Camellia’s fever had subsided.
• Perna recalled Joseph performing artificial respiration and resolved to master the technique to save patients.

Perna asked Joseph to teach her cardiopulmonary resuscitation, then confessed that she had fallen in love with him. Joseph returned her feelings, and the Poroskafi sailed out of the harbor the next morning.

• Perna visited Joseph and asked him to teach her the cardiopulmonary resuscitation technique.
• Joseph explained chest compressions and artificial respiration, and Perna practiced the technique on him.
• Perna confessed that she had loved Joseph since they first met and asked to remain by his side.
• Joseph remembered how Perna had stayed with him through his travels and battles, then accepted her embrace and kissed her back.
• The Poroskafi sailed out of the harbor the following morning.

Joseph returned to Versailles after winning the steamship race and learned that Pope Pius VI had refused to support Poland. He suspected Austria had pressured the Holy See, leaving him to reconsider the religious dimension of his Polish strategy.

• The Poroskafi won the race and returned to Paris far ahead of the Seven Birds, while Camellia was taken to receive medical care and Anne-Marie Herio was taken into custody.
• Count Herio pleaded with Joseph over his daughter’s actions, but Joseph said a judge would deliver a fair verdict.
• Talleyrand told Joseph that Pope Pius VI had refused to let the Holy See interfere in Poland, despite Joseph’s proposal to reforge the Spear of God.
• Joseph reasoned that Russia and Prussia were unlikely to have forced the Pope’s decision and suspected Austria had threatened the Holy See.

Joseph arranged covert support for Poland against an anticipated Austrian attack, secured Ottoman logistical aid, and recruited Mesmer to spread fabricated papal decrees in Eastern Europe. He then ordered Fouche to verify Austria’s plans, monitor the border, and prepare for Ottoman supplies.

• Joseph told Talleyrand that Austria was preparing to move against Poland and planned to help defend the southwest without openly sending French troops.
• Talleyrand reported that Selim III had agreed to provide supplies for the Black Sea front in exchange for steamship control, military assistance, and trade privileges.
• Calonne reported that he had secretly transferred 1.04 million pounds from the United Kingdom back to France.
• Joseph pardoned Mesmer and offered him money and a title to impersonate a Holy See envoy and spread fabricated papal decrees in Poland.
• Joseph ordered Fouche to verify Austria’s intentions, monitor the Austria-Poland border, and coordinate with the Crimea Resistance Organization ahead of Ottoman deliveries.

Joseph appointed Styler, now known as Dietmar, to lead a French trading company in the Ottoman Empire and ordered him to secure Mediterranean trade and gather intelligence in Egypt. In Kraków, an intelligence officer revealed that the Catfish Plan would require Depue to be kidnapped.

• Joseph learned that Styler had returned to France and told him he would receive the title of Baron of Memac.
• Joseph appointed Styler General Manager of the Eastern Mediterranean Trading Company and tasked him with expanding French trade, buying goods, and watching Muhammad Ali in Egypt.
• Styler agreed to return to Greece and carry out Joseph’s plans, then asked why Joseph had named his former company Lightning.
• Depue told Captain Libel that the mining company’s board had rejected military training for the miners because it did not expect an Austrian attack.
• Captain Libel told Depue that the Operations Division had prepared a response under the Catfish Plan and that Depue might need to be kidnapped.

A staged bandit campaign pushed Umyan Mining Company and Kraków officials to expand their forces and organize military training. After Depue’s kidnapping and the failure to recover Denise, he drove a mercenary expedition and militia preparations, while the supposed brigands remained Intelligence Bureau agents in disguise.

• A bandit gang terrorized the area, and Umyan Mining Company’s board initially approved only 150 additional Patrol members after Makavsky warned that the force was too small.
• The brigands kidnapped Depue and three others, then released Depue, his assistant, and his coachman after receiving a 400,000 Złoty ransom, while keeping Denise.
• Depue demanded that the company rescue Denise, and Umyan Mining Company expanded the Patrol to 650 men.
• After Denise remained missing and the brigands struck again, Depue persuaded Kraków City Hall to hire mercenaries with 450,000 Złoty in combined funding.
• Depue secured approval for weekly military training for more than 4,000 miners and local men, with two thousand Flintlock Guns to be procured from France.

Mesmer’s false papal envoy stirred Polish religious and nationalist fervor into support for a Holy War against Russia, while Polish authorities suppressed anyone who questioned him. As the Dnieper Front Army prepared for the coming Russian attack, Kościuszko saw that many of its new recruits were poorly trained.

• Mesmer, disguised as Archbishop Marlow, urged Poles to join a Holy War, and civilians formed Crusader Legions as the Royal Armory supplied them with guns.
• Lieutenant Kaliszow stopped Archbishop Krasiński from traveling to Rome and ordered him returned to Kamianets.
• Kaliszow explained that the Committee of Freedom and Security had chosen to promote the Holy War despite knowing Mesmer was an impostor, because it united Poland against Russia.
• The Committee sealed the roads to the Holy See, warned those who doubted the envoy, and secretly executed some defiant clerics.
• At Mozyr on October 15, 1792, Kościuszko watched the Dnieper Front Army march and warned General Dombrowski that many recruits might not survive the Russian army’s first attack.

Russia declared war on Poland and began bombarding its forward positions, while Kościuszko organized the defense at Mozyr. As Polish recruits moved into position, veteran Corporal Drasowicz tried to reassure his squad, but Janik revealed that he was excited rather than afraid.

• Dombrowski and Kościuszko discussed the sacrifices Poland might face defending the Mozyr line against Russia.
• An officer reported that Russia had declared war, and cannon fire began striking Polish forward positions.
• Kościuszko ordered the troops to their defensive positions and told the Rangers to watch for Russian movements, especially on the right flank.
• Polish troops deployed along the border, while recruits at Zagazke Village sheltered from Russian bombardment.
• Drasowicz led his recruits out of a damaged farmhouse and tried to reassure Janik, who said he was excited for the war.

Drasowicz and the soldiers gave food to two abandoned children, but Russian artillery killed the girl and left her younger brother alive. The next morning, a Russian force advanced on the Polish defenses, and the chapter ended as the battle began.

• Krzysztof gave bread to an abandoned girl, who called her younger brother Kacper out of a fireplace.
• Drasowicz and the soldiers gave the children food and directed them toward a supply station, but a cannonball killed the girl and Kacper disappeared.
• Krzysztof fired toward the Russian guns, and Drasowicz later found Kacper alive beneath a haystack.
• After a day of bombardment, Russian soldiers advanced on the Polish breastwork the next morning.
• The Polish defenders began firing as a comrade beside Janik was struck and lost half his head.

Janik overcame his fear during the Russian assault at Zagazke Village and helped the Polish defenders repel the probing attack. General Morkov ordered a larger assault for an hour later, while Janik and the recruits celebrated their brief victory.

• Janik panicked under Russian fire, struggled to reload, and ducked as Russian soldiers closed on the breastwork.
• The Russians reached the Polish line, and Krzysztof was killed while urging the recruits to keep firing.
• Janik shot the bearded Russian who had attacked Drasowicz, then rallied himself and the other recruits to continue fighting.
• General Morkov ordered Wladyslaw to withdraw and directed Korolyov to begin a general assault in one hour.
• The Polish volley drove back the Russian Skirmishers, and Janik and the recruits cheered as the Russians retreated.

Polish soldiers at Zagazke Village repelled the Russian Army’s first assault after a brutal close-range exchange of volleys. Janik warned his comrades not to relax as a Russian Infantry Line and Skirmishers advanced behind the retreating Columns.

• Drasowicz urged the Polish soldiers to stay alert, and Priest Staszak prayed for the forty-one fallen defenders before the next Russian attack began.
• Rangers reported that a large Russian force with cavalry was assembling, while Janik encouraged the new recruit Jerzy Lachko to keep steady and aim quickly.
• Russian artillery bombarded the eastern defenses, then Russian infantry Columns advanced as the Polish soldiers prepared to fire.
• Janik and the Polish defenders exchanged volleys with the Russians at close range, and Lachko was replaced by Carol amid the casualties.
• Janik shot the Russian flag-bearer as several Russian Columns retreated, but he warned Carol not to relax when Russian Skirmishers and an Infantry Line appeared.

Polish recruits and villagers held Zagazke Village against a Russian assault despite suffering heavy casualties. The chapter ended with the village’s tanners, blacksmiths, priest, and a small group of infantry nearly wiped out while delaying Cossack cavalry from reaching the Polish cannons.

• Lubinska refused to commit his last three hundred reserves, trusting the defenders to hold their position.
• Drasowicz rallied his company as Polish and Russian troops exchanged volleys at close range, and the Poles refused to retreat.
• Morkov expected Zagazke Village to fall soon and ordered preparations for an attack on Marecze Town.
• Cossack cavalry bypassed the northern end of the Polish line and threatened the artillery position, so the Seventh Company commander led veterans to protect the cannons.
• The Seventh Company commander found the cannons still firing and learned that Staszak, the priest, and Zagazke Village’s tanners and blacksmiths had delayed the Cossacks at two farmhouses.

Drasowicz and the Seventh Company defended their cannons against a Cossack cavalry charge after priest Staszak was killed. The Polish line held through a brutal close-quarters fight, leaving the slope covered with dead and wounded.

• The Seventh Company commander stopped his men from rushing to avenge priest Staszak and ordered them to defend the cannons.
• The commander organized a semicircular bayonet line, while Karolswaw brought caltrops and artillerymen prepared to fight with whatever weapons they had.
• The Cossacks charged the artillery position, and a cannon blast tore through their ranks before they reached the Polish line.
• At close range, the Polish soldiers fired and then fought the Cossacks with bayonets and improvised weapons.
• Drasowicz charged a Cossack after the soldier who had saved him was struck, while Janik, Karolswaw, and the other defenders fought nearby.
• The Polish line held against more than thirty cavalrymen, and corpses covered the slope after over ten minutes of fighting.

Janik and the Artilleryman defended the cannon at Zagazke Village while wounded, until Kacper fired it and destroyed the last two Russian Cavalrymen. The Polish defenders drove back the Russian Infantry, and two days later Janik’s unit retreated to Marecze Town after holding the Mozyr defensive line longer than planned.

• Janik and the wounded Artilleryman realized two Russian Cavalrymen had survived and were returning to disable their cannon.
• Janik loaded a Grapeshot shell into the cannon but collapsed before he could light its fuse.
• Kacper lit the fuse at the Artilleryman’s direction, and the cannon killed the two Russian Cavalrymen and their horses.
• The Artilleryman collapsed after the shot, while the cannon at Zagazke Village resumed firing and the Polish soldiers drove the Russian Infantry into retreat.
• Two days later, Janik retreated with his unit to Marecze Town after the Polish forces held the Mozyr defensive line longer than planned.