The Oracle

Sam and Remi Fargo, the married couple who make a living tracking down lost treasures, are back in another adventure from Clive Cussler's long-running series. This time their quarry is an ancient scroll, and it comes with a curse that has outlasted empires.

The story starts in 533 A.D. in North Africa, where the last king of the Vandals faces an invasion by the Byzantine army. Desperate, he asks an oracle how to survive. The answer is not about battle tactics. A high priestess, the oracle says, laid a curse on his kingdom after a sacred scroll was taken from its home, and only returning it will end the curse. The kingdom falls before anyone can try, and the scroll vanishes into history.

Centuries later, an archaeological dig funded by the Fargos turns up the first real clues to where it went. Before they can follow the trail, trouble reaches them from another direction. Supplies meant for the school run by their charitable foundation have been stolen, and the Fargos fly to Nigeria to replace them in person. There they run into a gang of robbers who seize Remi along with several students. Signs soon suggest the kidnapping is tied to the missing scroll.

With young lives at stake, Sam and Remi must call on every skill they have to get the girls out safely. Only then can they chase down the hidden treasure and find out whether the old curse still has any power.