Two Enemies

Two enemies: Richemonte vs Löwenklau

Heroes. What reader, whether following a true story or immersed in a fictional account, doesn’t enjoy the premise of two combatants fighting it out, whether face-to-face, or via armed combat? The classic good guy vs bad guy, the protagonist seeking to rescue the damsel in distress from the unscrupulous villain, it all appeals to us. We need our heroes.

Karl May, the talented and prolific German author of the 20th century, certainly knew how to engage his readership. His swashbuckling tales penned in the late 1880s—in the style of Dumas’ classic The Three Musketeers—still resonate with the faithful of today, including this writer. Let’s take a closer look at his masterful depiction of mano a mano.

What was it that pitted our hero, Hugo von Löwenklau against Captain Albin Richemonte? They were clearly men of influence but with considerable differences in character.

Richemonte was opportunistic, cruel, and an egotist. Löwenklau on the other hand, was compassionate, idealistic, and a man of integrity. Where Löwenklau would come to the aid of a stranger and risk possible consequences of his actions, Richemonte would think nothing of taking advantage of an individual’s dilemma and thereby gain the upper hand.

In the first installment of the Hussar’s Love series, The Prussian Lieutenant, the reader is introduced to 1800s France, at the time of Napoleon Bonaparte’s military defeat. That is the backdrop to the story, but the real action commences in Paris, in an out-of-the-way tavern, not on the battlefield. A French officer’s off handed, yet derogatory remarks toward a high-ranking Prussian officer results in the Frenchman’s chastising, the event witnessed by his fellow officers. That seemingly innocuous act may have persuaded most French officers from becoming embroiled in further mayhem with the Prussians, but not Richemonte. He swears revenge on the occupying victors and his hatred for the young lieutenant propels both men into life-long enmity that seemingly knows no bounds.
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