Egypt, 518 BC. Kel, a young scribe recently hired by the prestigious guild of interpreters, thinks his future is secure. But following a party to which he should not have been invited, he arrives at work one day to find his boss and colleagues murdered. Are their deaths linked to a mysterious encrypted papyrus that the specialists were meant to decipher? Believing his life to be in danger, Kel absconds with the precious document, thus becoming prime suspect at the centre of an intrigue of State. Hunted by the authorities, Kel enrols the help of his friend Bebon and the beautiful Nitis, priestess of the goddess Neith. Egypt meanwhile faces an uncertain future. Will the Greek mercenaries hired by the pharaoh Amasis be able to defend the country against the greed of the fearsome Persians? Who is plotting against Kel, and why? When human beings choose to follow a path paved with violence and injustice, they cannot avoid the vengeance of the gods ...