Mathias Sandorf [1]: Een Verijdelde Samenzwering; Dokter Antekirrt

A novel written in the late 19th century. It centers on a Hungarian independence conspiracy radiating from Trieste, following Count Mathias Sandorf and his allies Ladislas Zathmar and Stephanus Bathory, while opportunists like Sarcany and Zirone circle on the fringes. Expect coded messages, secret networks, and the clash between patriotism and greed. The opening of the book paints bustling Trieste and introduces Sarcany and Zirone, two penniless adventurers who stumble upon an exhausted homing pigeon carrying a ciphered note. Reviving the bird and releasing it from the St. Justus tower, they track it to a house on the Acquedotto and learn it belongs to Count Zathmar. A curt remittance from banker Silas Toronthal reaches Sarcany, who decides to stay in Trieste despite being told to leave. The narrative then shifts to Count Mathias Sandorf: a wealthy Transylvanian magnate, widower, and fervent Magyar patriot who organizes a coordinated uprising with Zathmar and Bathory, using homing pigeons and a grille cipher to evade detection. Sandorf confirms strong support across Hungary and Transylvania, plans for swift seizure of key cities, and intends to draw on large funds deposited with Toronthal. As he returns to Zathmar’s house, he and Bathory suspect they are being watched. The section closes by sketching Toronthal’s prominent yet possibly strained banking house and hinting at past dealings linking him to Sarcany.