Henri had a passion for Napoleon & Napoleon had a passion for chicken. From Boulogne to Moscow Henri butchered for his Emperor & never killed a single man. Meanwhile, in Venice, the city of chance & disguises, Villanelle was born with the webbed feet of her boatman father
- but in the casinos she gambled her heart & lost. As the soldier-chef's love for Napoleon turns to hate he finds the Venetian beauty, & together they flee to the canals of darkness.