Astounding Stories #45

In the mist-shrouded peaks of Italy, a wandering author stumbles upon a hidden town where the residents bear strange, otherworldly features—descendants of Leonardo da Vinci, twisted by time and isolation. As he flees the eerie silence of the mountains, he carries with him a story too bizarre to be true, committing it to paper in hopes of making sense of what he saw.

A jaded sailor washes ashore on a forgotten island, drawn in by its eerie beauty and the woman he rescues from a band of pirates. As he begins to rebuild his life among its strange ruins, he discovers the island’s secret—its history is far older and more tragic than he ever imagined.