England, 1191. Richard Lionheart has left the realm bankrupt and
leaderless in his quest for glory. Only Prince John seems willing to
fight back the tide of chaos threatening England - embodied by the
traitorous 'Hood.' But John has a secret weapon: Guy of Gisburne,
outcast, mercenary, and now knight. His first mission: to intercept the
jewel-encrusted skull of John the Baptist, sent by the Templars to
Philip, King of France. Gisburne's quest takes him from the Tower of
London to the hectic crusader port of Marseilles - and into increasingly
bloody encounters with 'The White Devil': the fanatical Templar de
Mercheval. Relentlessly pursued back to England, and aided by the
beautiful and secretive Melisande, Gisburne battles his way with sword,
lance and bow to a bitter confrontation at the Castel de Mercheval. But
beyond it - if he survives - lies an even more unpredictable adversary.