The Count of Monte Cristo

Monte Cristo Shore Encounter

Monte Cristo Shore Encounter: Weighing the odds—four smugglers and two bandits matched against his own party—Franz orders the final approach, and Gaetano maneuvers the boat past the fire’s glare and into its illuminated circle, singing a fishing song whose chorus the crew takes up. The men ashore rise to inspect the new arrivals, then—with one sentry remaining on the beach bearing a carbine—return to roasting a goat. When the boat is within twenty paces, the sentry challenges them in Sardinian with “Who comes there?”; Franz coolly cocks both barrels of his gun while Gaetano responds in a dialect Franz cannot follow, setting up the negotiation that will decide their reception.

Chapter 31. Italy: Sinbad the Sailor

In this chapter, Franz, a young Frenchman traveling incognito, lands on a deserted island where he is approached by a mysterious, pale figure known as “Sinbad the Sailor,” who invites him to supper on the condition that he be blindfolded. Franz is led into an opulent subterranean palace carved into the rock, where he finds a chamber lined with crimson and gold brocade and a magnificent marble dining room adorned with antique bas-reliefs, statues, and a splendidly appointed table of silver and Japanese china. Over the lavish meal, the enigmatic host—who is dressed in Tunisian costume and attended by a mute Nubian servant named Ali, whose life he once saved from the Bey of Tunis—speaks of himself as a “king of all creation” who wanders freely and dispenses a silent, personal form of justice, hinting through his pallor, voice, and fleeting ferocity at some profound past suffering beneath his present splendor.

Franz’s Incognito Introduction

Franz’s Incognito Introduction Franz is asked by the captain for his name, but he chooses to remain anonymous, identifying himself only as a Frenchman travelling for pleasure. The sentinel relays the answer and dispatches a man into the rocks while the crew quietly observes the newcomers.

Sentry Grants Landing Access

Sentry Grants Landing Access The dispatched man returns and signals the sentinel, who grants the party permission to land with the untranslatable Italian “s’accommodi.” The crew disembarks on Monte Cristo, armed and dressed in a manner that arouses no suspicion, and they prepare to make camp.

Chief’s Blindfold Supper Condition

Chief’s Blindfold Supper Condition After Gaetano’s offer of partridges in exchange for a share of the islanders’ roast, he returns with an invitation for Franz to sup with the chief—but only on the condition that Franz allows himself to be blindfolded before and during the journey to the host’s dwelling.

Franz Inquires About the Island Chief

Franz Inquires About the Island Chief Curious and prudent, Franz questions a sailor about the mysterious chief. He learns of a magnificent subterranean palace, a fine hundred-ton yacht of probable Genoese build, and the alias “Sinbad the Sailor.” The descriptions only deepen the sense of an Arabian Nights adventure, yet Franz ultimately accepts the blindfold condition.

Blindfolded Journey to the Cavern

Blindfolded Journey to the Cavern With his eyes bandaged and guided by the sentinel and two crewmen, Franz is led past the bivouac and into a cave, sensing changes in the air as he travels. When the journey ends on a soft carpet amid perfumed atmosphere, a voice greets him in accented French and grants him permission to remove the handkerchief.

Meeting Sinbad the Sailor

Meeting Sinbad the Sailor Franz removes his blindfold and finds himself facing a strikingly handsome, pale man of thirty-eight to forty in a Tunisian costume of red, black, and gold. Apologizing for the precaution, Sinbad explains that the secrecy protects his retreat, then introduces himself by the name “Sinbad the Sailor” and invites Franz to call himself “Aladdin” for the evening.

Tour of the Opulent Dining Chamber

Tour of the Opulent Dining Chamber Sinbad leads Franz through a tapestry into a dining room of marble and priceless bas-reliefs, with four statues bearing baskets of exotic fruits. The silver and Japanese-china table groans with pheasant, Corsican blackbirds, boar’s ham, kid in tartar sauce, turbot, and lobster, all served by the silent Nubian Ali.