An amateur novelist alongside his demanding career as an astrophysicist, Stephen, now in his early forties, had recently discovered a passion for writing. As the holidays drew to a close, he finally set out to begin work on a new story.
It was mid-March. The sky was remarkably bright for the early afternoon.
As he gazed out of the window, Stephen's attention was caught by the glint of a shiny object held in the beak of a magpie. Intrigued, he followed the thieving bird's flight until it led him to a bank strewn with discarded rubbish. There, he discovered a small box containing a handful of pieces of jewellery and several clay tablets covered in symbols that bore a striking resemblance to ancient cuneiform writing.
What exactly were these objects? Were they genuine?
