hailey and zach are thirteen-year-old twins, the children of professors whose year-long mission is to travel the world, photographing and writing about fascinating historical sites. while mom and dad scratch at the past, hailey and zach plunge into it, by literally diving into the pool at the base of the taj mahal. They are two ordinary american kids on an extraordinary mission. their indian driver's son, the precocious sushil, completes the trio. The story also includes an imprisoned mogul ruler and his princess daughter, a mysterious bookshop keeper with a magical diary, and a series of time travel feats with fluky consequences. with action-packed sword fights and a mutual crush between hailey and sushil, there is something compelling for both genders.