The abbé listens as Caderousse unspools the incredible rise of Fernand — once a poor fisherman, now a decorated noble. His fortune, it seems, was built not on honor but on opportunity seized in shadow. Drafted under Napoleon and stationed at the frontier, Fernand betrayed his general to the Bourbons and returned a hero instead of a traitor. The winds of empire had changed, and Fernand changed with them.
As wars came and went, his ambition only grew. In Spain, he joined forces with Danglars, guiding troops through secret routes and earning favor among royalists until he was made a colonel, then a count. When Europe quieted, he sought new glory in the Greek war for independence, aligning himself with Ali Pasha and returning to France rich, titled, and lauded as the Comte de Morcerf.
“Destiny! Destiny!” murmurs the abbé — though the word carries more bitterness than awe.
⸻
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The Countdown of Monte Cristo is a daily podcast reading one page at a time from Alexandre Dumas’ classic novel — every day, for four years. Whether you’re starting from the beginning or joining mid-journey, each episode brings you deeper into the story of The Count of Monte Cristo.
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