This book is a work of pure fiction born in the aftermath of the greatest terrorist assault on American soil. The central figure is a self-effacing theoretical physicist, a scientist with a brilliant mind. He goes about his daily business intentionally oblivious of the world around him and stumbles into a global spotlight, partly through his own na�vet�. The contrivances of others who have predetermined his potential also lure him out of obscurity because of a technological breakthrough he has made. His life's companion is the mirror image of his persona. An historian with stellar talent, she is everything that he is not when it comes to deciphering the intent of others, especially a warped generation of fanatics, all because of her long study of the calamities that enveloped Europe and the Middle East from the rise of Christianity to modern times. The plot played out by the central characters is woven into actual historical events. The author has taken considerable license with the events and has manipulated them at his discretion to fit the story line. The plot expresses a conservative view of religious fascism, perhaps offensive to some, without apology. The author attempts to draw a sharp contrast between misguided fanaticism and adherents of other traditions or unabashed atheists.