The book "The Conspiracy" is built on a dark historical drama. In a case that ended on March 11, 1801, one particular trait of desperation showed itself with extraordinary force. The king and the regicides were both in a completely hopeless situation. Emperor Paul I—by nature a gifted and noble man—became a victim of a mental illness. The limitless power of an autocrat turned his personal drama into a national tragedy. Among the participants in the conspiracy were, of course, people of many different kinds…