The Scorpion - Volume 1 - The Devil's Mark

Rome the beautiful is dying, the symbol of civilization falling, the empire
burning. Hidden from massacres and looting, a strange meeting is held by nine
families who share the Roman Empire. To retain their power, they decide to
support a new religion--Christianity--as well as its representative, the pope.
But who are these 9 mysterious families? Later, much later, it's the
Renaissance. Christianity prospers. A brigand called "the Scorpion" makes a
living by unearthing relics in the depths of the Roman catacombs, which he
sells at high prices to princes and bishops. Trebaldi, a powerful cardinal,
takes an interest in this Scorpion, who is either a creature of the devil...
or a witness to a cursed era who must disappear...This two-volume book
includes "The Pope's Secret".