“Buoyed to the heights of controversy on the tide of animal magnetism he claims to have discovered, and subjected to an impartial investigation by the Friendly Examiner, Franz Mesmer proves less sinister than his mysterious assistant Aïcha, who, gowned and veiled so that only her eyes appear, exerts a curious power of fascination over the minds of men and women alike. What mischief do the flamboyant doctor and his éminence grise intend toward Hippolyte-Fortuné and Fabienne, whose family is set to grow? And what is the role of Count Hranolky, the notorious Russian projector, who arrives in the French capital just as a warning from Catherine the Great reaches Diderot’s hands?”