Sometimes, a seemingly innocent decision can change the course of one's life. And sometimes that same decision can profoundly change the course of history. When Athelstan, a 3rd century BC Celtic General from northern Italy, decides to save a grubby young sneak thief from her murderous captors in Sparta, he sets in motion a series of events that rock the very fabric of civilization on two continents. This one seemingly innocent act propels them into in a sinister web of political intrigue, romance, and magic. They also capture the attention of a mysterious enigmatic tyrant known only as 'The Hooded Man'. Athelstan's mission to secure military help from Sparta against the growing might of Rome lies in tatters as he tries to protect this mysterious girl from deadly assassins and determined kidnappers. This young guttersnipe holds the key to an incredible mystery that stretches from ancient Greece to Ptolemaic Egypt, from the seedy mediterranian black markets and into the perilous trade routes of the North African Kush. Who is this child? What knowledge does she possess that makes her so dangerous? And can a simple barbarian soldier uncover her secret in time to save her people and his own?
