Heart of Stone

Professor John Carfax has spent his life searching for evidence to prove his controversial theories concerning the rise of Modern Man from its primitive beginnings. But the tragic loss of his bride shatters Carfax. In his madness, he flees to the wilderness where, armed with his knowledge of Ancient Man, he begins his descent into a world reduced to a struggle for survival.

Accompanied from the outset by a Neanderthal named Skull, a creature made manifest by John's own survival instinct, Carfax embarks on a journey of self-discovery as perilous as the wilderness itself.

In time, guided by Skull's ancient wisdom, Carfax emerges re-born from the forest, and returns to the modern world bearing gifts of re-discovered knowledge, perhaps revealing glimpses of the true spirit of Man along the way.

“Where are all the forests, John Carfax? All the trees that once covered this land? Where are all the animals? The wolf and the bear once lived here, and now they are gone. The seas and rivers and lakes once teemed with fish, now they too are almost gone. There is only so much magic to go around, John Carfax, and your people are taking it all. Soon, there won’t be any left, and your people will be forced to give back what they’ve taken. When that happens, and you are few again, then the earth will return to the way it was before, in my time, when people understood these things.”

John felt Skull standing behind him, felt the Neanderthal’s massive but tender hand resting lightly on his shoulder, and when he looked up, he saw the profound recognition in the awful dark eyes and the bitter-sweet smile of a terrible secret shared...