The Black Man, or The Secret Letter of the General-in-Chief

In 1788, in the midst of the Russo-Turkish war, Maxim returns from captivity to the farmstead. Eighteen years ago, the Tatars captured him and sold him into slavery. He ended up with a French diplomat in Caffa. Together with the diplomat’s son, he learned and grew, mastering different languages and sciences. Near the farmstead, the Russian army lays siege to the Turkish fortress of Ochakov, while terrible things happen right there on the farmstead itself.

A black man appears who collects the souls of sinners. Maxim doesn’t believe in supernatural forces—he understands that behind it all is a вполне конкретна людина. Maxim shows the instincts of a detective and uncovers the Turkish spy.