Home page  Bibliography Book Links   Preface  Outline Characters Europe 800 AD     Characters:   Four central characters:   Megan Daughter of Pope Joan. She has come of age and realizes she has special talents and only recently learned why she is being hunted.   Omar Secret lover of Pope Joan and hired assassin sent to kill individuals that are an embarrassment to the Roman church. He learns that his latest victim is his own daughter.   Kristos Half brother of Anatasius the librarian. He is sent with Omar to seek Megan and ruin her reputation and is told to bring her to trial and imprisonment.   Anathasius Librarian who wanted to be Pope and needs to rewrite Churches history to write Pope Joan out of history.   Seven minor characters   Sarah Caretaker of Megan. She pretends to be Megan's mother to keep her out of harm. She is a barren ex-prostitute of Vatican court.   Scotus The famous John Scotus Erigena is often excommunicated after his writings and reinstated because of the need for his knowledge of Greek translations of the bible.   Hanif He is the patriarchal head of family hiding out in Arran Island.  He produces ink for the church.   Carol Wife of Hanif.  She was the wet nurse of Megan.   Nadir Son of Hanif and Carol. He is in love with Megan.   Ulgar He is a monk who hears Omar's confession and used to be a soldier in defending Rome from raids.   Abbot He controls a northern Italian monastery from any disruption and remains loyal to the Roman Church regardless of evidence of coverup of their ambitions.   Synopsis:         The Charlesmagne empire is in ruins.  The church  is trying to hold on to its power by blessing who they want to be king.  They are trying to become more powerful than their main rival in the East - the Byzantine empire. There is a serious need to rely on supplies and talen from Ireland and Irish scholars that have insights into Greek scholarship in order to make in roads to expand the influence of the Roman Church.  The Roman Church is very dependent on the Irish monks because there culture did not collapse with the fall of the Roman Empire.         After a failed coup by the Vatican librarian to take over the papacy, he hires two emissaries to silence the only living relative to the assassinate Pope Joan. Joan's illegitmate daughter has come of age and her adopted family is shielding her from the spies of the church in a remote corner where Catholism only has a tenuous foothold.       The emissaries have to try and hide their conflicting motives from one another and to those shielding the daughter Meaghan. The daughter has special talents that help her decide her fate and they lead her and the two emissaries to confront the Vatican court and seek refuge in the monastery of John Scotus. There everyones fate is sealed.