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In the late-18th century, it was unusual for anyone to become a master craftsman before the age of twenty, much less a master clockmaker. In this story, eighteen-year-old master clockmaker Max Bardo (Jonathan Zaccai) has come to the attention of a wealthy aristocratic inventor, who has hired him to repair the clocks in his chateau. When the young man arrives there, the inventor has died, but he is kept on to do the job he was hired for. Before long, he becomes an innocent pawn in the elaborate games of the inventor's upper-class heirs and associates, who are seeking to use the young man in their quest for a legendary device made by the dead man. Soon, Max winds up in a duel with one of the aristocrats. His challenger dies during the duel, but not at Max's hands. Despite the fact that a good number of the onlookers know perfectly well that he is innocent of the killing, the consequences (including an elaborate revenge scheme) fit their plans perfectly. Then as now, the powerless innocent have little defense against the subtle plots of depraved pillars of society.