by Raymond Scott Edge

The Piasa Puzzle

Daniel looked up at the wall clock. 'Well that brings us to the end of our time, but I should tell you that the last sighting of the Piasa Bird was April 1948. Guy named Coleman, while riding on horseback about four miles from Alton, claimed to have sighted a bird 'bigger than an airplane.' The students were now standing, packing their bags, adjusting their coats, readying themselves to leave.'Oh, by the way, be careful out there,' Daniel laughed. 'And remember to look up now and then, you never know when Daniel French, a graduate student of archaeology, sets out for a romantic picnic under a mysterious local cliff painting known as the Piasa Bird, he unwittingly finds himself involved in an ancient tale filled with passion, sacrifice, love, and loss. The Piasa is a famous petroglyph overlooking the Mississippi River near Alton, Illinois. First described by French explorers Marquette and Joliet in 1673 and later called 'America's most fascinating free roadside attraction,' the origin of the Piasa is shrouded in legend and obscured by time, with no known date of creation, name of creator, or purpose. As Daniel French seeks to unravel the mystery surrounding the ancient work of art, he learns that there is more to the Piasa than meets the eye.