In the crypt of an old church, a translator and linguist uncovers a vellum-bound, illuminated manuscript. Written in an unknown alphabet, Jack's not sure if his discovery is a hoax, a code, or even the only written record of a long-forgotten language, but he's determined to unlock the manuscript's secrets.Scribbled marginalia reveal he's not the first to try - his predecessors are shadowy figures, monks from furtive religious orders, cryptographers and alchemists. Seduced by the lure of the unknown, Jack is drawn ever deeper into the manuscript's labyrinthine past - to the crusades, to the great Library of Alexandria and perhaps even further back But is each new turn in the labyrinth only taking him further from the truth?Intoxicated by his quest, Jack is lead into ever-darker territory. Nearing the heart of the mystery, he can feel sinister forces gathering and his life disintegrating. To save his life and his mind, he has no choice but to break the cipher and reveal the manuscript's ultimate truth