The Island Mystery

In the midst of World War I, a curious whisper about a hidden Mediterranean isle begins to surface in smoky club rooms and whispered tea‑time conversations. The narrator, drawn in by a minister’s vague references and a long‑forgotten academic monograph, embarks on a quest to uncover what lies behind the scarce press coverage of Salissa. As the war rages, the island’s strategic importance and the promise of a mysterious “lady” become tangled with patriotism and secrecy.

Salissa itself is portrayed as a rugged, roof‑like mass of caves and vineyards, its lone natural harbour guarded by a jutting reef. Its tiny, eclectic population—descended from Greeks, Turks, Slavs and Italians—lives without formal laws, police or taxes, maintaining a blend of pagan rites and sporadic Christian observances. The story follows the narrator’s early investigations, setting the stage for a deeper exploration of the island’s hidden motives and the dangerous games of those who seek to control it.