(316 pages)
St. Paul's letter (epistle) to the Corinthians needs to be delivered from [wherever it was penned]; copies are entrusted to several messengers; all but one are intercepted by Roman forces (Rome considering the letter as highly insurrectionary). The final copy is entrusted to a courier named Michael, traveling with a mute girl named Ruth. Rome enlists Telamon - former Roman legionary - as a mercenary to find the pair and bring back the letter. Telamon has an unexpected apprentice (Michael); they are dogged by a sorceress who accompanies them for long stretches.
Rome is not trustworthy and pursues the pair with its own forces; also chased by Jews feeling threatened by Christianity, other bounty hunters.
The tale of the pursuit and the journey in general - from Judea to the Nile and across to Greece - is very well done.
I did not see the ending coming, but I thought it was really effective. The contrast between Roman brutality and St. Paul's messaging.
(I don't know much theology though understand that chunks of St. Paul's writings are out of favor with some; but yes there remain many quite fine passages.)
Having attended literally thousands of Roman Catholic Masses - St. Paul included in the readings for no doubt a large majority of them - the familiarity with the topic makes this story more compelling.
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