The Roman emperor is fearful of a Delphic oracle which states, "From the bones of twelve, a phoenix shall rise that will rule Rome." An imperial investigator is sent to determine the paradoxical threat to Rome—to find the twelve and and where they hid the missing bones of their founder. Their disappearances resolve into a surprise murder mystery. Read this work to venture into the first century where oracles, bones, and small groups shake the foundations of empire.