Three Fat Men

A traveling troupe enters the city just as miners rise in revolt against the Three Fat Men. The streets erupt in clashes between rebels and palace troops. The performers' presence pulls them into the danger and the opportunity of upheaval.

Tibul joins the rebels and fights alongside them during the early phase of the uprising. General Karaska's forces crush the rebellion, quashing the short-lived hope of the workers. The city braces for what comes next as oppression intensifies.

During bombardment from the palace, the heir Tutti's mechanical doll is damaged. The broken automaton becomes a symbol of the fragile control the Three Fat Men hold. The incident foreshadows a plan that could alter the balance of power.

Prospero, the rebel leader, is captured and brought to the palace as part of a victory celebration. His capture underscores the regime's triumph, even as pockets of resistance remain. The event heightens the tension between spectacle and violence in the city.

Tibul escapes the soldiers and hides with Dr. Gaspard Arneri's home. Arneri helps him disguise himself to avoid recapture and infiltration. The unlikely alliance sets the stage for a daring counter-move.

That night, Dr. Arneri is summoned to the palace to repair the damaged doll and is sent home with it under heavy guard. The doll's survival becomes central to the rebels' plan. Arneri's role hints at a critical twist to come.

Rebels ambush the doctor's carriage, mistaking him for a high-ranking official, and the horses bolt with the carriage and the doll. The escape carves a new path for the fugitives as Arneri later encounters Augustus’s caravan and reunites with Tibul. The series of misdirections sets up a pivotal alliance.

From their reunion, they realize Suok bears an uncanny resemblance to the damaged doll. Tibul devises a plan for Suok to impersonate the repaired doll to infiltrate the palace. The ruse is meant to expose the regime from within.

Suok, posing as the repaired doll, is delivered to Tutti's chambers. The lonely heir senses the deception but chooses not to expose her, showing a surprising mercy. Suok uses this moment to win the boy's trust and carry out her mission.

Suok retrieves the key to the royal prison and frees Prospero. This act becomes a turning point, supplying the rebels with a bargaining chip against the Three Fat Men. The escape raises the stakes as the palace braces for reprisals.

The deception is revealed when the real doll is found elsewhere, exposing Suok's ruse. Arneri and Suok are arrested and sentenced to execution. The clock ticks toward doom as danger closes in.

Tibul and the rebels infiltrate the palace through an underground passage, sparking a second uprising. They overthrow the Three Fat Men and topple the tyrannical regime. The city erupts in celebration despite the bloodshed.

During the climactic confrontation, Tutti defends Suok and is wounded. He learns that he has a real heart, not a mechanical one as told by the regime. The revelation humanizes the heir and shifts the power balance.

With the rebellion victorious, Suok and Arneri are freed and the performers stage a grand concert in the city square. The people celebrate their new freedom and the promise of a better future. The caravan departs the city, with Tutti joining for a new life on the road.