Dr. Webb sends Ken Thurston an urgent message saying that something that they previously discussed in Casablanca has been found in here in Algeria, near the old Roman ruins. This could threaten much of Europe if it fell into the wrong hands. Please come at once. Ken takes the first flight available. When he arrives in Narig, he meets Dr. Webb's escort, who will take him to the camp near the Roman ruins in Timbak. As their journey begins, Ken meets a man named George Lewellen, an Englishman who runs an export business. Later, when they finally reach their destination, they find the campsite in disarray, and Dr. Webb has been killed.