The silver dial, volume 1 (of 3)

In Short

Set in 16th-century Strasbourg, this historical romance follows Conrad Dasipodius, a gifted mathematician tasked with constructing a magnificent new cathedral clock. His professional triumph is shadowed by a personal tragedy: he is losing his sight. As he attempts to maintain his reputation and secure a future with the gentle Sabina von Steinbach, he finds himself trapped by his own pride and the manipulative machinations of Sabina’s cousin, Radegund. It is a story of craft, social expectation, and the heavy burden of keeping a secret that could ruin everything.

The Story

The city of Strasbourg finds itself in a crisis when its famous cathedral clock grinds to a permanent halt. The Town Council decrees that a new, superior horologe must be built, and the commission falls to Conrad Dasipodius, a brilliant young mathematician and the son of a respected merchant. Conrad is a man of quiet intensity who soon captures the heart of Sabina von Steinbach, the daughter of a prominent local goldsmith. Their budding romance seems destined for happiness, especially as Sabina’s father, Niklaus, grows to admire the young man’s skill and industry.

However, a terrible secret lurks behind Conrad’s success. He is slowly going blind. As his vision fails, he learns to navigate his world through a hyper-developed sense of hearing and an intuitive grasp of mechanics. He desperately hides his condition, fearing that if the Council knew, they would strip him of his commission, and that if Sabina knew, her pity would replace the love he craves.

His life is further complicated by Radegund von Steinbach, Sabina’s cousin. Radegund is a formidable, sharp-witted woman who prides herself on her independence and intellectual superiority. She discovers Conrad’s secret, yet rather than exposing him, she uses the information as leverage to draw him into her own sphere of influence. Her motives are a volatile mixture of genuine attraction to Conrad and a cold, possessive desire to control the man who is considered the city's greatest genius.

As the clock nears completion, the tension between these figures reaches a breaking point. Radegund’s interference forces a wedge between the lovers, leading Sabina to realize the truth about Conrad’s condition. Sabina is devastated, not merely by the blindness, but by the fact that Conrad never trusted her enough to share his burden. Conrad’s friendship with the surgeon Bruno Wolkenberg also deteriorates under the weight of jealousy and hidden knowledge. The first volume concludes with the project nearing its final phase, leaving the clock, the romance, and the reputation of the mathematician in a state of precarious, unresolved peril. Sabina, left in the wake of a painful encounter, is comforted by Bruno, while Radegund continues to loom over the proceedings, holding the power to either save or destroy the man she claims to care for.

How It Unfolds

The Clockmaker’s Burden The city council laments the death of their old clock and commissions the talented Conrad Dasipodius to build a replacement. Conrad accepts, but he hides his rapidly failing sight from the world to protect his professional honor.

A Budding Romance Conrad spends his evenings in the home of the goldsmith Niklaus von Steinbach, ostensibly to discuss materials for the clock. He falls deeply in love with the gentle Sabina, who returns his affections without realizing he cannot see her.

The Discovery Radegund von Steinbach, a woman of piercing intellect and hidden motives, observes Conrad closely and confirms his secret. She confronts him in the churchyard, using the truth of his blindness to exert a psychological hold over him.

The Conflict of Secrets Radegund manipulates the social circles of Strasbourg, keeping the secret while fueling suspicion and jealousy among Conrad’s associates. She forces Sabina to confront the reality of the situation, shattering the young woman’s illusions about her lover’s honesty.

The Breaking Point Sabina’s father inadvertently promises her to someone else while unaware of the true depth of her despair. Conrad, isolated by his pride, retreats into his work as the rift between him and his loved ones becomes, for the moment, unbridgeable.

The People

Conrad Dasipodius is the central figure, driven by an obsessive need to maintain his dignity through his work. His blindness turns his greatest asset—his intellect—into a source of deep insecurity and isolation. Sabina von Steinbach is the "lily" of the story, defined by her genuine, simple-hearted devotion to Conrad. Her tragedy is the loss of her romantic ideal, as she finds that the man she loves has held her at a distance. Radegund von Steinbach serves as the primary antagonist of the heart; she is a woman of "glowing rose" intensity, whose intelligence makes her both a dangerous confidante and a manipulative force. She desires not just companionship but the power to possess a genius, making her the primary threat to the stability of those around her. Niklaus von Steinbach, the Burgomaster, acts as the well-meaning but often oblivious father figure, whose pragmatic concern for his daughter’s happiness is constantly at odds with the complex, hidden currents of the youth around him.

In Its Own Voice

“It is true that he had a goodly house of his own, and wore his fur-bordered gown of stout murrey-cloth with the best of them, and held his head high among the wealthiest of his merchant brethren, looking every inch the honest trader in skins and furs that he was.”

This passage introduces the reader to the modest yet respectable world of the protagonist’s father.

“And the Town Council said that was a happy thought of my Lord’s; and forthwith a resolution was put and unanimously carried, and then drawn up by the town-clerk on a stupendously lengthy roll of parchment, to the effect that the cathedral clock being worn out, it was desirable a new one should be commenced.”

The town bureaucracy moves to replace the broken horologe, setting the story’s central engineering project in motion.

“Conrad Dasipodius, I know your secret; I came here to tell you I knew it—You are blind!”

Radegund strikes at the heart of the mathematician’s deception in a climactic, cold confrontation.

What It's Really About

The book explores the tension between public reputation and private reality. It asks whether a person can be truly known by another if they withhold their deepest vulnerabilities. Through the metaphor of the clock—a machine requiring perfect precision and sight—it examines the loneliness of those who refuse to allow their "inner works" to be seen. It also interrogates the nature of pride: is it an honorable protective shield, or a destructive force that isolates the individual from the very people they seek to protect? The characters struggle with the morality of secrecy, questioning whether truth is always a kindness or if some secrets are necessary for survival in a rigid, judgmental society.

Why Read It Today

Readers who enjoy the atmosphere of 19th-century historical fiction—which often romanticizes the medieval period through a lens of melodrama and architectural wonder—will find much to appreciate here. The prose is earnest and rhythmic, capturing a sense of old-world charm that feels both deliberate and slightly stiff by modern standards. You will encounter the period’s penchant for flowery descriptions of character traits, such as comparing women to "lilies" or "roses," which reflects the Victorian-era sensibilities of the author.

The primary difficulty lies in the pacing; the book moves slowly, prioritizing internal monologues and long, descriptive passages over rapid plot advancement. Furthermore, the dialogue sometimes leans into stylized, archaic patterns that require a patient reader to fully enjoy. However, if you are drawn to stories about the intersection of genius and disability, or if you enjoy the trope of a high-stakes, "lethal" secret held by an unreliable protagonist, this narrative offers a compelling, if melancholic, journey. It stays with you because it captures the specific, crushing weight of maintaining a facade when one is surrounded by people who claim to know you. It is not a light read, but for those who value character-driven drama set against a backdrop of historic craft, it provides a fascinating, if occasionally somber, experience.