A Splendid Hazard

A cold, mist‑laden drizzle drapes over Paris on a memorable June day, turning the city’s streets into a shimmering stage of horse‑drawn carriages, flickering lanterns, and reflective cobbles. As Fitzgerald walks the Boulevard des Invalides, the rain stirs his imagination, recalling the thunder of Napoleonic battles and the lingering echo of history that seems to pulse through the very stones beneath his feet. The atmosphere is both melancholy and electric, inviting listeners to feel the city’s old‑world charm while sensing something restless beneath its surface.

A chance encounter with a stranger—both men sheltering under battered umbrellas—sparks a brief, amused exchange that hints at an uncanny familiarity. They part, yet the moment lingers, as if the past and present have briefly touched. Inside the solemn tomb of Napoleon, Fitzgerald’s thoughts turn to the complex hero he both admires and critiques, setting the stage for a personal quest that will intertwine memory, ambition, and the lingering shadows of a bygone era.