The Whisper of Pialigos

When novelist Stuart Adams joins an expedition led by Dr. Niki Mikos, a beautiful archaeologist resuming her murdered father's search for an ancient scroll, he doesn't count on romance, getting caught up in a perilous adventure dogged by a homicidal Greek official, an erupting volcano, and sinister forces that will stop at nothing to confiscate the artifact. The scroll, thought to contain the key that could save the last vestiges of a dying civilization and usher in an era of world peace, is lost somewhere in the beautiful setting of the Aegean Sea islands. Clues are scarce, but a series of inexplicable visions lead Stuart and the team to the scroll's location. The discovery is immediately countered by a heinous act of deception that robs the expedition of its hard-earned prize, leaving Stuart and Niki to die on the shores of the erupting volcano. Though they make a narrow escape, other team members are not so lucky. While Niki mourns her losses, Stuart is torn between staying with her and going back to a dubious relationship with girlfriend Marion Chandler. But the smoldering tinder of mutual attraction-souls once separated now rejoined-ignites between Stuart and Niki into the full-fledged flame of love. Their ecstasy is short-lived, for the flame casts light on Niki's secret knowledge of an ancient prophesy that she and a high priestess know only Stuart can fulfill. Running counter to all logic, his resistance to participation in a ritual walking a dangerous labyrinth blindfolded is softened by yet another vision urging him to accept his destined role in the deadly ceremony. His success at accomplishing it, he is told, will salvage the remnants of the once-great civilization and signal the beginning of a world sweet with the fragrance of peace. By all appearances it is a lost cause, a dying culture set on an irreversible trajectory toward extinction. Will Stuart muster the courage, the compassion, and enough trust in his own instincts to risk life and love to save them?

J Douglas Bottorff is the author of A Practical Guide to Meditation and Prayer, A Practical Guide to Prosperous Living, Native Soul, The Complete Soul, The Way of the Bighorn and A Spiritual Journey. He lives with his wife, Elizabeth, in western Colorado.