Why? Why steal the bones of the Magi?
Why indeed? As with all the Sigma novels, there is always a historical mystery at its core. In this case, I had been reading about the history of Catholic "relics," those bits and pieces of saints cherished by the Church. I stumbled upon the controversy surrounding the bones of the Biblical Magi, those three kings who came bearing gifts to the Christ child. I knew there was something to be explored here, but the idea sat idle for years--until I woke up one Sunday morning with a strange thought: What if someone poisoned the chalice of communion wafers at a church, and during the subsequent mass, everyone who partook of communion died? I found this oddly intriguely. Maybe because I was raised Roman Catholic and gone to Catholic school during most of my young years. Either way, I knew then that I had a story to tell, one connected to the relics of the Magi (and don't worry, I'm not really spoiling anything, as this all occurs in the prologue to the novel).
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