Number 187

Number 187 is a chilling tale of suspense and human fragility, set during the French Revolution when lives were reduced to mere numbers on execution lists. In this short but powerful story, Baroness Orczy paints a haunting picture of an aristocrat condemned to die under the blade of the guillotine. Through desperation, courage, and the faintest spark of hope, the prisoner's fate unfolds with heart-stopping tension. With its blend of atmosphere, drama, and moral weight, Number 187 encapsulates the terror of the Revolution and the resilience of the human spirit, standing as a sharp, emotional precursor to Orczy's later Scarlet Pimpernel adventures.

Baroness Emmuska Orczy (1865–1947) was a Hungarian-born British novelist, playwright, and artist, best remembered as the creator of the legendary hero The Scarlet Pimpernel. Born in Tarnaörs, Hungary, she moved to London in her youth and established herself in literary circles with her flair for romantic adventure and historical drama. Orczy's groundbreaking novel The Scarlet Pimpernel (1905) introduced readers to Sir Percy Blakeney, the daring English aristocrat who, in disguise, rescued French nobles from the guillotine during the Revolution—an archetype that inspired countless masked and double-identity heroes in popular culture, from Zorro to Batman. Beyond the Pimpernel series, she penned detective stories such as The Old Man in the Corner, historical romances, and even works on Hungarian life and folklore. Her works combined suspense, wit, and a deep love for heroism, earning her international acclaim. Orczy continued writing until her final years, leaving behind a legacy as one of the pioneers of modern adventure and mystery fiction