Istanbul, 1591: the mighty Sultan Murad III has been robbed! The Staff of Moses, used at the parting of the Red Sea, has been stolen from his private collection of religious artifacts in the Topkapi Palace--and the furious Sultan wants it back. To track down the thieves, an elite band of hand-picked warriors is assembled. Among them is Awa, daughter of a noble family form West Africa, and friend Will--kidnapped from London slums at the age of five and now a seasoned and fearless young soldier. The warriors' task is to bring the Staff home--or not come home at all. Their urgent quest takes them from the domed roofs of Ottoman Istanbul, along the crowded canals of Venice, and all the way to the court of Queen Elizabeth 1--in rainy England--in what becomes a daring Mission (almost) Impossible for the 16th century.