It is 1303, and the Old Man of the Mountain still inhabits the sand-swept Valley of the Assassins, remembering how close he came to killing Edward of England almost thirty years before. Because he never forgets his prey, the Old Man of the Mountain decides to set free from his stronghold the leper knight, and avenge old grievances.A few months later, while walking the streets of York, two nuns discover, to their horror, the macabre sight of a man being consumed by fire.The death of this stranger not only disturbs the good sisters but also Edward I of England, as he arrives in York for secret negotiations with leaders of the military Order of the Temple. His unease deepens, for as he enters the city, a would-be regicide attempts to murder him with a crossbow bolt. The assassin, wearing the livery of The Templar Order, is found in a nearby garret, where a mysterious fire has engulfed him. Edward immediately orders his Keeper of the Secret Seal, Sir Hugh Corbett, to investigate these mystifying events. Read Less