In t?? ??stlin? cit? ?? Anci?nt E???t, w???? ????mi?s ?i??c?? t?? sk? ?n? t?? Nil? Riv?? ?l?w?? ???c???ll?, ? ??c?li?? ?v?nt ?n??l???. It w?s t?? 18t? ??n?st?, ? ???i?? ??n?wn?? ??? its ???n???? ?n? ???l?nc?, ??l?? ?? t?? mi??t? P??????s. B?t ?mi?st t?? s?l?n???, ? ?i??l? in tim? w?s ????t t? ?cc??, c????in? ?n ?ns?s??ctin? t??v?l?? ???m ? ?ist?nt ??t??? ??ck t? t?is ?nci?nt l?n?.
As t?? s?n ?i???? ??l?w t?? ???iz?n, c?stin? ? w??m ??l??n ?l?w ?v?? t?? s?n?st?n? st??ct???s, ? s?imm??in? ???t?l m?t??i?liz?? n??? t?? ???n? t?m?l? ?? K??n?k. O?t st????? P????ss?? Am?li? St?n?, ? ??n?wn?? ??c????l??ist ???m t?? ???? 2120, ??? ???s wi?? wit? ?st?nis?m?nt ?s s?? t??k in t?? m?j?stic si??t ?????? ???.
Un??kn?wnst t? ???, t?? ???t?l ??? t??ns???t?? ??? n???l? t???? mill?nni? int? t?? ??st, t? t?? ????t ?? Anci?nt E???t’s ?l???. St?nn?? ?? ??? s?????n?in?s, s?? st?m?l?? ???w???, ??? s?ns?s ?v??w??lm?? ?? t?? si??ts ?n? s??n?s ?? t?is ?nci?nt civiliz?ti?n.
B????? l?n?, P????ss?? St?n? ???n? ???s?l? in t?? ???s?nc? ?? P?????? T?t?nk??m?n, t?? ???n? ??l?? w??s? n?m? ?c???? t?????? t?? ?nn?ls ?? ?ist???. H? s?t ???n ?is t???n?, ????n?? in ??s?l?n??nt ???m?nts ?? ??l? ?n? ???ci??s ??ms, ?is ??z? ?i??cin? ??t c??i??s ?s ?? ???????? t?? st??n?? n?wc?m?? ?????? ?im.
“W?? ????s t??s??ss in t?? ???s?nc? ?? t?? P???????” ?? ??m?n???, ?is v?ic? ?c??in? t?????? t?? ???n? c??m???.
Wit? ? mixt??? ?? t???i??ti?n ?n? ?xcit?m?nt, P????ss?? St?n? st????? ???w???, ??? v?ic? st???? ??s?it? ??? ??cin? ????t. “I m??n n? ???m, ????t P??????. I c?m? ???m ? ?ist?nt tim?, ? ??t??? ????n? ???? wil??st ????ms.”
T?t?nk??m?n’s ???w ?????w?? in c?n??si?n, ??t ? s???k ?? int???st i?nit?? in ?is ???s. “S???k, t??v?l?? ???m t?? ??t???. W??t kn?wl???? ?? ??? ??in??”
An? s?, P????ss?? St?n? ?m???k?? ?n ? j???n?? ?? ?isc?v??? ?n? ?nli??t?nm?nt, s???in? t?l?s ?? t?c?n?l??ic?l m??v?ls, sci?nti?ic ??v?nc?m?nts, ?n? t?? v?st ?x??ns?s ?? t?? w??l? ????n? E???t’s ??????s. S?? s??k? ?? ?l?in? m?c?in?s t??t s????? t?????? t?? ski?s, ?? t?w??in? st??ct???s t??t ?i??c?? t?? ???v?ns, ?n? ?? ? w??l? c?nn?ct?? ?? n?tw??ks ?? li??t.
As s?? s??k?, t?? P??????’s sk??ticism w?n??, ???l?c?? ?? ? s?ns? ?? w?n??? ?n? ??scin?ti?n. T????? t??i? w??l?s w??? s?????t?? ?? ??ns, t??? ???n? c?mm?n ????n? in t??i? t?i?st ??? kn?wl???? ?n? ?n???st?n?in?.
In t?? ???s t??t ??ll?w??, P????ss?? St?n? ??c?m? ? ??v???? ?i???? in t?? c???t ?? T?t?nk??m?n, ??? ???s?nc? w?lc?m?? ?? sc??l??s ?n? sc?i??s ????? t? l???n ???m t?is ?ni?m?tic visit?? ???m t?? ??t???. T???t???, t??? ?xc??n??? i???s ?n? insi??ts, ??i??in? t?? ??? ??tw??n tw? v?stl? ?i?????nt ???c?s.
B?t ?s t?? s?n?s ?? tim? c?ntin??? t? ?l?w, P????ss?? St?n? kn?w t??t ??? tim? in Anci?nt E???t w?s limit??. Wit? ? ???v? ????t, s?? ?i? ????w?ll t? t?? P?????? ?n? ?is c???t, kn?win? t??t s?? m?st ??t??n t? ??? ?wn tim? ?????? t?? ???t?l cl?s?? ????v??.
An? s?, wit? ?n? l?st ?l?nc? ?t t?? s?l?n??? ?? Anci?nt E???t, P????ss?? Am?li? St?n? st????? t?????? t?? s?imm??in? ???t?l, l??vin? ???in? ? l???c? ?? kn?wl???? ?n? ??i?n?s?i? t??t w??l? ?n???? ??? c?nt??i?s t? c?m?.