In 1745, London authorities arrested a stranger who refused to give his name. His pockets were full of diamonds, and he played violin like a master. For the next two hundred years, this man appeared at every turning point in European history. He transformed lead into gold for Casanova, repaired the King's diamond to perfection, and described ancient Rome as if he'd lived there. He spoke twenty languages without accent and claimed to have witnessed the crucifixion. He warned Marie Antoinette before the guillotine and predicted both World Wars with eerie accuracy. The Count of Saint Germain died in 1784. But people kept seeing him—in Paris, New Orleans, and on Mount Shasta—always the same age, always one step ahead of history.