Recently turned 21, France Leighton travels to Luxor, Egypt, taking with her two legacies - an antique cello and an emerald ring. Instead of the archaeological adventure she expects, she gets a lecherous dig director, hidden agendas, a risky balloon ride, and an enigmatic nuclear physicist. In the mysteries of the ancient tombs, France realizes she and her gifts may imperil the world - or save it.More October 1962. The developing nuclear missile crisis in Cuba is of no concern to Francesca and "France and " Leighton. Recently turned 21, France travels from her home in Providence to a job at an archaeological dig in Luxor, Egypt. She takes with her two legacies - an emerald ring from the grandfather she never knew, and an antique cello from his friend, a man she loved like a grandfather.The dig disappoints. France is relegated to sorting chunks of stone, the dig's director makes unwanted advances; rivalries and mistrust are everywhere. And it's too darn hot. Tasked with playing her cello at a gathering of archaeologists, France meets the enigmatic and fascinating nuclear physicist Adam Dexter. She's smitten, especially when he promises to show her the secrets of Egypt, including a hitherto undiscovered tomb.After a risky balloon cruise ends in a crash landing, France is forced to leave the dig. Despite warnings against solo explorations on the west bank, she finds herself with Adam Dexter in an eerie house near the Theban Necropolis. Adam's promises are alluring, but he is both more and less than he seems and his motivations are disturbing. Fleeing his house, France makes a horrifying discovery.Through an image of Osiris, France discovers the true reason for her presence in the Theban Necropolis. As the world teeters on the brink of nuclear war, she must call upon resources both within and beyond herself to meet the perils that await her in the world of the dead beneath the Western Peak.