Two travelers, three time periods, a princess and a cop. From the fall of Rome to the advent of artificial intelligence, an ancient road between East and West remains... Mahzun comes from west of Samerkand, Jamuk from the eastern frontiers of Central Asia. Once a year they meet along the Silk Road to continue a family tradition sharing food, stories, and the latest ideas. In act one (550CE) a beautiful Eastern Princess smuggles the secret of silk from China to Rome. Act two (1280CE) takes place on the eve of Mongol power in Central Asia, and a lesson in binary math accompanies an investigation into the mysteries of love. Act three (1806CE) features a Frenchman on his way to China to deliver the world's first functioning android from one emperor to another. "Wagner has an ear for engaging dialog and a knack for creating his own folklore based on historical facts with sprinkles of pop culture, strange creatures and stories within stories... he has that nuanced sensibility for weaving low-brow humor with very original wit." --Missoula Independent

In a world where eternal youth is just something folks are learning to live without, Riggs Bombay, the boy who is not afraid of one single thing, only wanted to find a cure for his hallucinations. What he finds instead is Periphery Stowe's old storybook-a mystery entangled in the pages of history, and coveted by the secret powers of the world. Now Riggs must lug his hallucinations through valleys and vortexes, dodging the greedy grasp of codgers, villains, and philosophers long enough to deliver Stowe's book to the one man in the world who wants nothing to do with it Written during an adventure of his own into India, Wagner's poetic first novel offers a whimsical glimpse into the source of our fears, and a wink to our longing for longevity. Obsessive characters and dazzling imagery span the eternal horizon of this charming fable, from one quiet mountain village, to the infinite eye of the void somewhere on the periphery of Mister Stowe's imagination.