Alchemy and hermetic. “Royal art” and “art of kings.” A mysterious science that connected magicians and adventurers, philosophers and warlocks in a strong chain. Alchemists were either accepted as equals or burned at the stake of the Holy Inquisition. Before you is the story of one of the LAST ALCHEMISTS of Europe. Continuation of the story of the hunt for “King Solomon’s gold” - a longed-for dream adherents of the “royal art”, in which Newton and Leibniz, Waterhouse and Thomas Newcomen take part. A history of secrets and adventures, miracles and mystical discoveries. The third book of the “Baroque cycle”, which opened to the reader a new facet of Neal Stevenson’s talent.