The Scorpio Files

In a world where men are judged by their profession, there are few like the fortune hunter. These steely men of fantasy search the globe in pursuit of lost treasures, which have been forgotten by time. Among fortune hunters, there is none quite like Nick Reed, a man called Scorpio.

My name is Bartimaeus...I am the partner and friend of Nick Reed. For generations, my family has been captivated by two pieces of scripture. One, from the Talmud, says that there are three gates to hell: one in the wilderness, one in the Sea, and one in Jerusalem. In the Christian Bible, it is said that love of money is the root of all evil. Could it be that the "gates to hell" are actually the three most decadent treasure troves in the world? Three hordes of ancient wealth so vast that pursuit of them would lead a man straight to hell?

This is the story of my first excursion with Nick Reed, in search of the gate to hell in the sea: the lost city of Atlantis.