L'Enigme

Sarah Doré is a famous huntress of the Second Empire. Along with her longtime friend, the Marquis and Lieutenant de Valléquiou, they hunt a monster that is preventing the completion of the Suez Canal. They capture the legendary sphinx, and she loses her leg. Meanwhile, a hunchbacked priest from Saint-Germain-des-Prés, Gabriel, reveals himself to be a serial killer. His victims all share the same characteristic: they are not recognized as criminals by the police and are murdered by divine justice, literally. The sphinx will first engage in riddle-solving contests in an Egyptian camp that will attract hundreds of tourists, only to later be ridiculed in the high-society salons of the City of Light. The story will end during the Franco-Prussian War, at the end of the encirclement of Paris, in the midst of a mass grave of soldiers and civilians. This fantastic story is inspired by the painting “The Enigma” by Gustave Doré, exhibited at the Musée d’Orsay.