In the lawless wilds of 17th-century Hungary, where every passing army comes to plunder, the town of Kecskemét has learned a more dangerous art: survival through sheer, unapologetic cunning. When Michael Lestyák, a young man of quick wit and little experience, is elevated to chief judge, he inherits a town caught between warring factions, Turks, Kuruts, and every manner of mercenary, and discovers that the only way to stop the bleeding is to make a devil's bargain. What follows is a satirical masterpiece of political chicanery, as the citizens of Kecskemét devise an scheme so absurd, so audacious, that it just might work. Kálmán Mikszáth writes with the keen eye of a journalist and the dark humor of a man who knows that history is rarely heroic, it's usually just people doing whatever it takes to see tomorrow. This is Hungary's answer to the great comic novels: a story about ordinary folks outmaneuvering empires, where the real magic isn't in any caftan, but in the art of pretending to serve one master while actually serving yourself.
