Preface: It has been three years since I recovered the Heart of Ashurbanipal. The nightmares that plagued me have been vanquished and are more or less a thing of the past. I have left my posting in Japan for Paris and the promise of safety and the possibility of answers to question as yet unasked. I have taken a small apartment in a fine neighborhood. It has a coffee house, several interesting shops and a bakery. My only constant companion now is my A.I. familiar Feng, a gift from a former lover and dear friend.

Part One: Path of the Inquisitor

I kept the double doors that open onto my...