Trieste, the capital of Illyri, is divided into two very different parts: the rich new city, Drezian, is facing the harbor and is convenient for the development of seabed resources; Between the Erso River and the Castel Mountains.The Corso River is the boundary river between the two cities.On the top of Custer Mountain stands a castle, the scenery is particularly beautiful. The San Carlo embankment extends outside the port of Trieste, where merchant ships often dock.Groups of homeless people roam the shore, sometimes in alarmingly large numbers.They don't have pockets in their tops, trousers, vests, or coats because they never had, and probably never will have, anything to pack.

However, on May 18th, 1867, it might be noticed that, among these vagrants, there were two who were better dressed.They are unlikely to have too much money to bear, except when times come and go.But they are indeed the kind of people who will do anything in order to make a fortune. These two people, one named Saccani, claimed to be from Tripoli; the other, a Sicilian guy, named Zirona.The pair wandered around the embankment more than a dozen times, and finally stopped on the edge of the embankment.From there they looked out over the boundless west of the Gulf of Trieste, as if, from that distant place, a steamer laden with their riches came!

"What time is it?" Zirona asked in Italian, which his partner Saccani spoke as well as he spoke other Mediterranean dialects. And Sakani didn't say a word. "Oh! what a fool I am!" cried the Sicilian, "our stomachs are growling, and we have forgotten to eat our lunch when the time comes!" This port city belongs to the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and Austrians, Italians, and Slavs are mixed together.Therefore, even though they had just arrived, they did not attract the slightest attention.What's more, they all wore brown cloaks that reached to the shaft of their boots, and walked proudly on the street. Even if their pockets were empty, no one would have expected it.

The younger Sakani, twenty-five years old, is of medium height, well-proportioned, and elegant.Saqani, without a Christian name, is because he was not baptized and was probably of African origin—from Tripolitania or Tunisia.Despite his brown skin, his delicate features made him look more white than black. People should not be judged by their appearance, Sarkani is the best illustration.It takes a very careful observation to get a glimpse of the man's insidiousness through his regular facial features—beautiful black eyes, graceful nose, and a light beard on his delicate lips.From his calm and indifferent face, it is difficult to find his contempt, disgust and even never-ending resistance to society.Physiologists agree that all con artists, no matter how cunning, show some telltale signs.Often, and indeed.Sarkani is an exception.Just looking at his appearance, no one can guess his identity, nor what he has done in the past.He's less annoying than the average liar and scoundrel, and therefore all the more dangerous.

No one knows what happened to Sarkani's childhood.There was only one thing that was beyond doubt that he was an abandoned child.How did he grow up and who raised him?During that time, which remote corner of Tripolitania did he live in?And who took care of him, so that he escaped countless fatal disasters in the harsh climate?Indeed, no one can tell—maybe even he himself doesn't know what it is—he came into the world by accident, grew up in a daze, and was at the mercy of fate.However, in his teenage years, not for nothing, he was educated in reality: traveling around the world; dealing with all kinds of people, racking his brains for a living.For several years, after various twists and turns, he had become involved with one of the richest families in Trieste, the banker Silas Dronta.Thus involved in our incident.

As for Saccani's partner, the Italian Zirona, he is a purely lawless and omnipotent adventurer.Everything is mercenary, no matter what kind of errand, as long as there is money, whoever gives the most money will serve him.He was from Sicily, in his early thirties, and he could think up bad ideas, accept bad ones, and be especially good at doing them.Where he was born, if he knew, he wouldn't mind telling.As for where he has stayed, he is unwilling to talk about it anyway.When he was still wandering in Sicily, by chance, he and Saccani intersected in embarrassment.So, they traveled the world together, trying to make a fortune and get rid of their bad luck through legal and illegal means.Zirona had a beard, was always young, was dark brown, and had thick black hair.His half-closed eyes and wobbly head can't hide his natural cunning.However, he always kept talking, trying to whitewash his adultery.Besides, he was more happy than sad, not so withdrawn as his young companion.

On that day, Zirona's words were very limited.Evidently, he was troubled by the question of lunch.The night before yesterday, in a low-level small casino, Sakani had such bad luck that he lost everything in the last bet.Now both of them are helpless, at a loss, and have to resign themselves to fate.They wandered back and forth on the San Carlo Embankment, but they did not see the God of Fortune coming, so they decided to go around the streets of the new town of Drezian and try their luck. In the squares, docks, sidewalks, inside and outside the port, and on both sides of the Grand Canal in the new city, 70,000 Italian citizens bustled and bustled for business.Local residents speak Venetian, while sailors, businessmen, employees, and officials from various countries speak German, French, English, and Slavic languages. The local mother tongue is gradually weakened in such a city with frequent international exchanges.

This is a rich city, but even so, not all the rich people haunt the streets.Not at all!Even the wealthiest Trieste was no match for those English, Armenian, Greek, or Judah merchants.They are the top people in the city, and their luxurious life is not inferior to the dignitaries in the capital of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.However, behind them, how many unfortunate people are wandering in this bustling street?Located in the depths of the Adriatic Sea, Trieste has developed into a free trade port with its superior geographical location.Tall buildings stand along the street, and the doors are closed, filled with goods gathered here from all over the world.The ships of the most prosperous Austrian Lloyd Shipping Company in Europe are moored in the port, loading and unloading a wide variety of wealth.And just around here, how many people can't eat a lunch, maybe even dinner?They wander around.Poor man!As in London, Marseilles,,,,,, hundreds of poor people, mixed with rich shipowners, wander around the arsenal, which is heavily guarded; they linger in the square of the exchange, the gate of the exchange Closed, they staggered here and there, gathered in front of the steps of the Ministry of Commerce building, which housed the offices of the Ed Maritime Company, the conference hall, and at this time, the Maritime Company and the Ministry of Commerce were cooperating perfectly.

It has undoubtedly become an indisputable fact that in the great cities along the coast, old as well as new, there is always an unfortunate class, especially in the prosperous centres.Where are they from?Not sure.Where will they go?do not know either.Even they themselves can't predict where they will die.During the period, a large number of people had no social status, and many foreigners were added, along with trains and merchant ships, and were abandoned here like unowned parcels.They clog the traffic, and the police work in vain to drive them away. And that day, Saccani and Zirona, crossing the bay and taking a last look at the towering lighthouse of Santa Teresa, left the embankment and walked along the path between the town theater and the garden to the Grand Place.There was a statue of Charles VI on the square, and the fountain at the foot of the statue was formed by the stones of the adjacent Castel Hill, and they wandered here for a while.

The two walked back to the left.Zirona stared at the pedestrians on the road with an uncontrollable desire to rob.Just as the Exchange was about to close, they bypassed the huge square building of the Department of Commerce. "Look, the exchange is empty... and we are each other," Chirona smiled, thinking about what to say. Sakani looked indifferent, as if he hadn't heard his partner's lame joke.His partner stretched and yawned like a hungry ghost. The bronze statue of Leopold I was erected on the square, and they passed through this triangular area.Zilloner whistled—in a hobo-boy style—to startle a flock of cooing blue pigeons under the colonnade of the old Bourse.They look like the flock of pale gray pigeons between the Doge's Palace in St. Mark's Square in Venice.Not far away, the Corso River, the boundary river between the old and new cities of Trieste, flows continuously.

The street is very wide, but not elegant.The shop is full of customers, all without taste.To say that it is the Italian street in Paris is actually more like Regent's Street in London or Broadway in New York.There are many pedestrians on the street, bustling with people, and the traffic flows from the Grand Square to the Piazza della Regina. Listening to these names, it can be seen that the city of Trieste is greatly influenced by its Italian origin. If Sakani is still pretending to turn a blind eye to all temptations, Zirona is simply exposed and unable to take a step.Every time he passed a store, he was always envious, with the expression of a person who has no money to buy things.And in those shops, there was more to suit their taste, especially in the food stores and taverns, where more beer was flowing than in any other city in the Austro-Hungarian Empire. "Being on this Corso makes one hungrier and thirstier," Zirona commented.His tongue clicked like a bandit's castanets between Yubaba's lips. Sarkani just shrugged at the wisecrack. Then they turned into the first street on the left, followed the canal until they reached the Ponto Rosso rotating bridge, crossed the bridge, and came to the docks where even the giant ships could be docked.They don't mind the yelling of the vendors there.As he approached San Antonio Church, Saccani turned abruptly to the right.His partner followed closely without saying a word.Then they crossed the Corso again and ventured across the old city.The roads in the old city are narrow, climbing up Custer Mountain, the first steep slope is difficult for vehicles.Most of the streets and alleys follow the direction of the Bula wind to avoid the invasion of this biting northeast cold wind.For Zirona and Saccani, two penniless men, old Trieste was more at home than the bustling neighborhoods of the new town. In fact, since they arrived in the capital of Yilili, they have lived in a simple and simple hotel not far from the Church of Sanda Maryli Majillo.To avoid this terrible embarrassment, the innkeeper, seeing the mounting bill and still not paying it, pushed Zirona and Saccani across the square and around the Riccardo Gate. Keep wandering around. In short, take a look, studying the remains of ancient Roman buildings can not solve their urgent needs.Since fortune was hard to come by in this street infested with vagabonds, the two of them, one behind the other, climbed the footpath between the hills leading to the top of Mount Custer to the terrace of the cathedral. "Why bother, climb up there!" Zirona muttered softly, tucking his short cloak into his belt. But after all, he still followed his young partner every step of the way.From the foot of the hill, we could see them climbing up the serpentine stairs that didn't match the street on the slope of Custer Hill. After about ten minutes, they boarded the platform and were tossed thirstier and hungrier. . It's so beautiful, as far as the eye can see, Trieste Bay is boundless and connected with the distant sea.In the harbor, there is an endless stream of fishing boats, motorboats and merchant ships coming in and out.How wonderful it is to see the whole city, the suburbs and the houses stacked on the hills, and the scattered villas on the high ground.And all this could no longer arouse the admiration of the two adventurers. First, they have seen it all the time, and second, they have come here for a walk many times when they are poor and depressed.Zirona, in particular, prefers to stroll outside the prosperous shops along the Corso River.But since they climbed so high, they came to spy on luck and windfall, they had to be less impatient and wait patiently. At the end of the steps leading to the terrace, next to the Byzantine Basilica of St. Christ the Byzantine, there is a small walled space that was once a base and now houses a museum of antiquities.The ancient foundation no longer exists, only a few cornerstones are left lying under the low branches of lush trees.Roman steles, medieval pillars, fragments of architectural decorations from various periods of the Renaissance, vitrified columns, and fragments of bones were scattered all over the place, all scattered in the tall grass. The wall door was not closed, and Sakani pushed it smoothly and stepped in.Zirona followed behind, saying in terror: "If you come here to kill yourself, it's a good place!" "I was about to suggest you do it!" Sakani replied sarcastically. "Hey! I refuse, my man! One good day for ten days, and nothing else I want." "Not only that, but even better!" "May the saints of Italy heed your wishes, God knows how grateful I am to them!" "Let's go," Sarkani said. The two walked along the semi-circular path between the two rows of urns, and saw a Roman-style rosette lying on the ground in front of them, so they came to them and sat down. At first, they were all silent - Sakani didn't care, but his partner Zirona couldn't hold back. After one or two suffocated yawns, he opened up the conversation: "God, wait and see, the fortune is not coming, and we are still foolishly counting on it!" Sakani ignored him. "And you, too," said Zirona, "have the idea of ​​finding fortune in the ruins. I'm afraid we've gone the wrong way, my friend! Does the devil give me a gift in this old cemetery?" Favor to ghosts? Once the soul is out of the dead body, it's no use asking for money. If I'm like them, I don't care if I don't eat dinner, let alone late lunch; let's go!" Sakani remained motionless, looking into the distance as if lost, and fell into deep thought. Zirona was quiet for a while, then chattered involuntarily: "Sakani, it seems that good luck has forgotten his old friend today, what do I think, you know? I hope that a clerk from the Bank of Dronta will bring a briefcase full of banknotes, Handed it to us on behalf of the banker, and apologized again and again, saying that it has been waiting for a long time, and it has been waiting for a long time!" "Listen, Zirona," Sakani frowned, "I repeat for the last time, don't expect anything from Silas Dronta." "Are you sure you are?" "Yes, yes! I have exhausted all the loans I could possibly get from him. And he flatly refused our last request." "How bad!" "Damn! But that's what it is!" "Okay, you spent all your money, that's because you got a loan," Zirona still didn't give up, "Why do people give you money? It's not because of your shrewdness and enthusiasm to serve them We worked a few times and got some nice deals... That's why Dorronta wasn't very stingy with money during our first few months in Trieste! But if you If we can’t catch him anymore, and if we don’t play tricks on him, it may be impossible to get a loan.” "Ordinarily, it should have been like this a long time ago." Sakani shrugged helplessly, "If it is done, you don't need to beg for food! I don't believe it, God has eyes, don't think I can't clean up much now Longta, but one day, I will let him pay back the money he refused me today! In addition, I also thought about it. His family’s business is a bit difficult at present. The investment in a depressed business suffered another loss. Several companies in Berlin and Munich in Germany went bankrupt, endangering Trieste like a shock wave. No matter what he said, anyway, the last time I went to his house, I saw Si Lars looked nervous! The more muddy the water, the better...as long as it's muddled..." "Of course that's all right," cried Zirona, "but we'll have to drink some water! Sakani, in my opinion, we might as well make one last effort at the Tower of Dorron! Be sure to smash it again! Open his cash box, at least to get enough money for our trip back to Sicily, passing through Malta..." "What are you going back to Sicily for?" "Never mind that! I know all about it there, and maybe I can bring back a gang of Maltese brothers who are brave and impartial, and we can do great things together! Hey! A gang of monsters! If there is no oil here But if it’s gone, let’s go and ask this damned banker to pay us for our travel! Although you don’t know much about him, it’s enough to show that he doesn’t want you to stay in Trieste.” Sakani shook his head. "Hurry up! We can't go on like this! We're exhausted!" Zirona said again. He stood up and stomped the ground, as if he was treating his stepmother who didn't want to support him. At this time, a bird was flying hard outside the fence, which caught Zirona's sight.This is a tired pigeon, its wings flutter slightly, and it gradually falls to the ground. In the technical terminology of modern ornithology, there are 176 kinds of pigeons, and Zirona doesn't care which one it belongs to. In his eyes, it is just an edible thing.So, he gestured to his companions, and stared at his prey. Obviously, the pigeon was exhausted.It had just climbed the steeple of the cathedral (an ancient square tower flanking the main entrance), and when it could not hold on, it fell and landed first on the top of the niche of the statue of Saint Just; Weak and uncatchable, it floated down to the top of the ancient column at the angle between the church facade and the tower. If Sakani was indifferent and indifferent to the pigeon's whereabouts, Zirona kept staring at it.This bird from the north has exhausted its physical strength after a long journey, but its instinct as a pigeon forces it to struggle towards a farther goal.After it traced an arc in the sky, it had to stop again, and landed on a low tree branch in the ancient burial ground. Determined to catch it, Zirona tiptoed toward the tree.In no time he was under the gnarled trunk, from where he could reach the branches.He lay motionless and silent, like a hound watching prey perched on his branch. The pigeon didn't notice this at all, and tried to take off again, but its physical strength went against its will again, and it fell to the ground again just a few steps away from the branch. Zirona rushed forward and reached out to grab the pigeon. The whole process only took a second.Instinctively, he wanted to strangle this poor little life, so he held back for a while, let out a scream, and hurriedly approached Sakani. "A carrier pigeon!" he said. "Then, it may be the last delivery!" Sakani answered in an interface. "Undoubtedly," said Zirona, "the recipient of the little note hanging under its wing deserves to be woeful..." "A note?" Sakkani called. "Wait, Zirona, don't move! Give it a reprieve first!" Zirona's hand was pinching the pigeon's neck, and he was about to lower his strength, but Saccani grabbed it.Saccani snatched the small pocket that Zirona had untied from under the pigeon's wing, opened it, and took out a small note with the password written on it. There were only eighteen words on the note, arranged in three vertical lines: ihnalz zaemen ruiopn arnuro trvree mtqssl odxhnp estlev eeuart aeeeil ennios noupvg spesdr erssur ouitse eedgnc toeedt artuee Neither the shipping address nor the delivery address.As for the eighteen words, each word consists of the same number of letters.Is it possible to understand the meaning of these words without mastering the way to decipher the code?It seems unlikely - unless you are a genius codebreaker - and this code document must be "decipherable"! The coded letter didn't say anything, and Sarkani looked at it, bewildered and disappointed.Could it be that there was an important announcement in the letter, and it was threatening?We can, and should, think that this is a precautionary measure taken so that the contents of the letter will not be revealed even if it falls into hands other than those to which it was addressed.In the communication, instead of using the post office or telegram, it was delivered by the unusual carrier pigeon, which shows that this matter is very top secret. "Maybe, the mysteries contained in these few lines will help us get rich!" Sakani said. "Then," replied Zirona, "this pigeon is a sign of fortune! This morning, I've been chasing it for a while! Damn it! I'll kill it! . . . Anyway, the important thing is to get the letter , it’s okay to cook and eat it..." "Wait a minute, buddy," Sakani still disagreed, saving the bird's life again. "Perhaps with this pigeon we can find out who the note was addressed to. Anyway, as long as he lives in Trieste, we'll find him, won't we?" "So what if you find it? It won't let you figure out what was written on the note, Sarkani!" "Not necessarily, Zirona." "You don't know where it came from!" "I don't know! But, two correspondents, if I find out one of them, I think I will be able to find the other one for me! Therefore, not only can't kill the pigeon, but on the contrary, it has to recover its strength and send the letter Send it to your destination!" "Bring the note?" Zirona asked. "Bring a note, and I'll make an exact copy and keep it until it comes in handy." So Sarkani took a notepad from his pocket and made a copy of the cipher letter with a pencil.He knew that most of the cipher documents were not negligent, so that the lettering and spacing were exactly the same as the original when copied.When he was done copying, he put the copy back in the notepad and put the original back in the pouch and tied it under the pigeon's wing. Zirona watched his behavior with little hope of getting rich off of it. "What now?" he asked. Saqani replied, "Now, take care to take good care of our messenger." Actually, the pigeon wasn't completely lacklustre, it was just so hungry that it was exhausted.Its wings were undamaged, neither shot nor broken, showing that no hunter had ever shot it, and no urchin had thrown stones at it.It's just very hungry and thirsty. So Zirona searched and found a few tree seeds along the ground to feed it, and the pigeon devoured it greedily.It rained not long ago.There was still a little water left in the old pottery fragment, and Zirona fed it another five or six drops to quench his thirst.In this way, after half an hour of care, rest and recovery, the pigeon is refreshed again and can continue its uninterrupted journey. Sakani observed the pigeon and said: "If it has to fly far, its destination is outside Trieste, and we don't care if it falls halfway, anyway, it will soon disappear from our sight Besides, it's impossible to follow it. But if the addressee is waiting for it at a house in the city, it's strong enough to fly there and stop, because it only takes a minute or two." "You're always right," said the Sicilian, "but even if he's in the city, can we see where he's haunted?" "For this reason, we must at least do our best," Sakani said, dismissing his partner with one sentence. He envisions: The cathedral consists of two chapels, one for the Virgin and one for Justin, the patron saint of Trieste.On the front, there is a large rose window, under which is the main door of the cathedral.One corner of the front is a round tower with a towering tower above it, which is the highest point of Custer Mountain.Looking down from here, from the nearest hillside to the coast of the bay, the city is laid out like a topographic map, and the square group formed by the top of the tail is clearly identifiable.Therefore, if you release the pigeon from the top of the tower, you can grasp its whereabouts.Doubtless it would be possible to find out where the pigeon roosted if its destination had been within the city of Trieste, and not elsewhere on the Illyrie peninsula. Since there is a possibility of success, there is a need to try.All that remained was to free the bird. So Saccani and Zirona left the ancient necropolis, crossed the small square in front of the church, and walked towards the tower.Under the ancient eaves, at right angles to the alcove of Saint-Just, a pointed archway opened.The two walked in and began to climb up the steep spiral staircase leading to the higher place. It took them two or three minutes to reach the top floor, the roof of this large building.There is no platform outside this floor, but a window is opened at the front and back, so you can have a panoramic view of the mountains and sea below. Sakani and Chirona came to the window facing the city of Trieste and stood there looking northwest. At this time, the clock tower of the sixteenth-century castle that stood on the Castel Hill Road behind the cathedral struck four.Even though it was near dusk, it was still very bright.In the pure sky, a round of red sun slowly set towards the Adriatic Sea.Most of the houses facing the bell tower in the city can be clearly seen in the afterglow of the setting sun. The timing was very favorable. Sakani took the pigeon in his hands, stroked it one last time as a sign of generosity and encouragement, and released the pigeon. The bird took flight, but at first it fell so rapidly that one feared that it would crash to the ground and end its career as an aerial messenger. Out of this anxiety, the Sicilian was tense and could not help crying out in disappointment. "No! Look, it's flying again!" Saccani said. Sure enough, the pigeon regained its balance at low altitude, then made a sharp turn, and flew sideways to the northwest of the city. Sakani and Zirona kept a close eye on the pigeon's whereabouts. The excellent ability to remember the way makes the pigeon fly straight to where it should go without hesitation in the flight-if there is no this forced stop under the tree in the ancient cemetery, it should have arrived there an hour ago. Sakani and his partner watched the pigeon's whereabouts with full attention and anxiety.they thought.Once the pigeon flew over the wall, all plans fell through. The pigeon disappeared in the air. "I see it! . . . I've been staring at it!" cried Zirona.His eyesight is exceptionally sharp. "See clearly where it stops," Sakani instructed, "Find out the exact location!" A few minutes later, the pigeon landed on a house in the middle of the jungle, beyond the hospital and the park.Its pointed roof is the tallest building in this part of the city.It was then clearly seen that the pigeon disappeared through the skylight in the attic, where there was a light-transmitting iron weathervane.If the city of Trieste is in the Flemish countries, the trade weathervane must have been made by Gandan Macy. The general direction has been determined, and the weathervane is very easy to identify. Using it as a reference, it is not difficult to find the attic with all the skylights, that is to say, to find the residence of the recipient of the coded letter. Saccani and Zirona immediately descended the hill, ran down the slope of Custer, and walked quickly up a narrow street leading to the Plaza de la Renia.In order to find the house in Dongcheng, they had to stop at the square to find out the direction. At the intersection of the two main avenues, Via Corsa leads to the park, and Via Akdauto, a tree-lined and beautiful street, leads to the Borchetto brewery.There are two roads left and right, which one should I take?The two adventurers were also undecided. They instinctively chose Akdoto Street on the right, wanting to inspect the houses on the street one by one, because they had noticed some green shade under the trade weathercock when they were on the hill.As they walked, they looked at the various walls and roofs of the houses on the street. They didn't find what they were looking for until the end of the street. "Look there!" cried Zirona. He pointed to a trade weathercock, which was rattling against the stanchions in the sea wind.Several pigeons flew around the skylight above. It is certain that this is exactly where the carrier pigeons come to roost. This seemingly ordinary house is hidden in a group of houses at the end of Akdoto Street. Sakani went to a nearby store to inquire about the situation.First, he learned that for many years the house had been the residence of Count Ladisla Zatmal. "Who is Count Zatmar?" Zirona asked, the name meaningless to him. "It's Earl Zatmar!" Sakani didn't know either. "Maybe we can ask again?..." "Let's talk about it later, Zirona. Don't be in such a hurry. Think about it, calm down, and now, let's go back to the hotel!" "It's just right!... Those who can afford to eat should be on the table right now!" Zirona sarcastically said. "If we can't eat today, we may have something to eat tomorrow!" "Where are you going to eat?" "Who knows, Zirona? Maybe it's Count Zatmar's house!" The two walked unhurriedly,—what's the rush? —and soon they returned to the poor little inn, which was too luxurious for them, for they could not even pay for their lodging. What an unexpected surprise! ... A letter addressed to Sakkani has just arrived. The letter contained a bill for two hundred, a postscript, and nothing else: This is the last sum I will give you, enough for your return to Sicily.Come on, I don't want to hear about you any more. Silas Doronta "Long live God!" cried Zirona, "the bankers have changed their minds! It is safe to say that confidence in these men of fortune should never be lost!" "That's exactly what I think," Saccani said. "In this way, can this money let us leave Trieste?..." "No! It can keep us here!"

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