. "Happening upon a briefcase lost in the park Titin returns it to its owner Professor Hector Alembick, an expert in sigillography (the study of seals - the ones on letters rather than the ones with flippers). Professor Alembick is travelling to the Balkan kingdom of Syldavia and offers Tintin a job as his assistant. Tintin declines but later finds himself under surveliance by sinister individuals who seem connected with that country. After more than one attempt on his life Tintin decides accept Alembick's offer and accompany him to Syldavia and get to the bottom of things. Tintin soon finds himself thrust into the middle of a ruthless conspiracy to overthrow the King Muskar XII of Syldavia in the interests of their fascist neighbour Borduria. Faced with traitors at every turn and Tintin has to race against time to save the King's throne. If the stolen King Ottokar's Sceptre is not returned by St. Vladimir's Day the King will have to abdicate and the Bordurians will invade... King Ottokar's Sceptre was written in 1938 and 1938 and was written in the light of the threat of fascism; the Bordurian plot has parallels with Anschluss of Austria and Syldavia's location is reminiscent of Albania (invaded by Mussolini in 1939). Both Syldavia and Borduria would play important roles in later adventures and the story also introduced the recurring characters of Bianca Castafiore and the villainous Colonel Boris Jorgen."@en . . . . . "Happening upon a briefcase lost in the park Titin returns it to its owner Professor Hector Alembick, an expert in sigillography (the study of seals - the ones on letters rather than the ones with flippers). Professor Alembick is travelling to the Balkan kingdom of Syldavia and offers Tintin a job as his assistant. Tintin declines but later finds himself under surveliance by sinister individuals who seem connected with that country. After more than one attempt on his life Tintin decides accept Alembick's offer and accompany him to Syldavia and get to the bottom of things."@en . . . . . . . . . "Tintin/Recap/King Ottokar's Sceptre"@en . .