team and fly to the University of Washington to investigate a diary from a man who had supposedly escaped from Custer's regiment at the Little Big Horn.
On his way out of the Computer Center, Jack ran into Specialist Fifth Class Sarah McIntire, soon to be promoted to second lieutenant. As he stood and looked at her, they both heard through the closing Computer Center door, 'Alright, boys and girls, let's retask Boris and Natasha and see if we can get some film on this lost Inca city! And someone get Sir Basil on the phone at the Royal Geographic Society in London and tell him we'll return the remains of King Arthur, in exchange for a year's worth of study on that Roman execution order for Jesus of Nazareth.' Niles was now in his element and happy.
On the screen, with Frank Sinatra still crooning away, the picture of the four people and one alien dimmed, then was gone.
'Well, Specialist,' Jack said, 'I can't officially ask you to dinner until you're an officer, but would you like to bump into each other at Gino's Spaghetti House later tonight?'
Sarah looked at the major's blue eyes and then looked around her to make sure no one was near.
'I think I would like that...' She hesitated, then lowered her voice. 'Jack.'
As she turned and walked away, Collins smiled and watched her a moment, then looked around him at the clean, plastic-lined walls outside the Computer Center and knew he was now at home at the Event Group.
'A quest for the riches of the earth brought them to the waters of legend and the greed of man came and destroyed the way of innocence, and the ancient one rose from the depths to consume them.'
-- FATHER ESCOBAR CORINTH
CATHOLIC PRIEST TO THE
FRANCISCO PIZARRO EXPEDITIONS
The survivors of his once proud and now cursed expedition were holed up in a large green basin that was fed water by the large and very deep tributary of the Amazon, at least ten leagues from the site of last night's massacre. The large lagoon, which for all practical description was much more like a small lake, lay before them. They had waded along the shore of the tributary, following the treacherous rapids to gain entrance into this hidden Eden that had trees so tall they stretched away and over the dark waters.
It was something Captain Padilla had never thought to see in his lifetime. Beautiful as it was, it was not the kind of place one would choose to conduct a massacre of the small people if they chose to attack them here. It truly was a place God had sculpted when last upon this earth. Tree branches hung out over the water and soft grasses grew all the way to the slow-flowing lagoon. The walls of what had to be an ancient and extinct volcano rose on three sides, actually leaning out over the lagoon, creating three natural shelves.
Flowers of every variety bloomed and nourished honeybees that gently moved from species to species, never noticing or caring about the sudden invasion by the Spaniards. The strange flowers that grew with only small dapples of sunlight were large and the most fragrant Padilla had ever smelled.
The ancient volcanic bowl was not only fed by the Amazon tributary but also by a mammoth waterfall that fell from high above on the far end of the large lagoon. But that was not the outstanding feature of the small valley. There, flanking either side of the tumbling waters of the falls, were pillars. They were at least a hundred and twenty feet high and carved from the surrounding rock, and they supported an arch that vanished into the white waterfall of the river above. Vines coursed through the cracked and weatherworn pillars and in several places had separated the stone completely, making them look as if they would fall at any moment.
Now here he stood, trying to decide if he should make their last stand or continue the insanity of running deeper into the green hell beyond the lagoon. The men knew there might be something here because of those giant pillars, but they had lost all interest in riches and just wanted familiar sights, even Pizarro was preferable to this madness.
Maybe the villagers would take the decision out of his hands and just leave them be, allowing them to go back and skirt the village to the north or south on their trek back into Peru. He would then personally report to the fool Pizarro that the expedition had been for naught, there was nothing but death waiting for any man in the distant valleys of the Amazon.
While he wrote his thoughts down in his personal diary, the map he had made of their travels fell from the back pages where he had placed it. As he bent over to retrieve it, he hesitated momentarily as he was suddenly tempted to leave it to rot on the ground. Then he considered his men and picked it up and placed it back into his journal.
His thoughts of leaving the map so no one could follow were broken by the harsh laughing of the very man who had caused so much horror in the last twelve hours. Such laughter after the spilling of so much blood seemed wrong. The captain looked over at his men. Joaquin Suarez was kneeling by the water with his hair freshly wet after washing the blood from himself and his armor. The soldiers around him looked on and shook their heads, all knowing this man was a danger to them all with his recklessness.
Padilla reached down and retrieved his helmet and that was when he caught a glimpse of a strange visitor to their makeshift rest area. The huge eyes were there for the briefest of moments before whatever it was scurried off through the thick foliage, using it as cover as it slid silently into the waters of the lagoon. Captain Padilla looked around to see if his men had seen the strange little creature, but they were busy washing and lying on the thickly carpeted grass; some of the more experienced soldiers were even knelt in prayer. He once again peered into the thick undergrowth for some sign that the little creature had been there at all, but there was not a trace. He quickly came to the conclusion that it had been nothing but a trick of his overtaxed mind and the darkened jungle floor. Suddenly there was a rustling of bushes behind him and his hand went to his sword.
'My Captain.' Ivan Rodrigo Torres, his friend and second-in-command, stepped from the dense growth of the forest. 'The Indians have disappeared.' He removed his helmet and his long black hair fell free as sweat poured from his face and beard. 'One minute we were watching them from a clearing about half a league from here and the next minute they fell back into the jungle and were gone. Our trail into this valley was so obvious they must know where we are.' He took a breath and looked around him as he loosened his armor. 'I expect them to double back this way, so I placed the men in an excellent position for ambush, but thus far they haven't come.'
Padilla patted his old friend on the shoulder. 'That is just as well, I can't do this any longer.' He lowered his hand and looked around at the darkened area under the thick canopy of trees. 'I just feel like resting here for a month before returning and reporting this horrible thing we have done.' He pulled the front collar of his armor away from his soaked tunic. 'Maybe I'll swim out to the only spot here that has sunlight hitting it and remain there until the Lord pulls me under.' He looked at the magnificent waterfall and then back toward the center of the large lagoon and the bright dapples of sunlight that lit the blue waters and made them sparkle.
'I, like most of the men, feel like cutting Suarez's throat for bringing this evil to our doorstep,' Torrez said angrily.
'I can't think on that now, my old friend, I am weary to my very bones. Besides, in the end, it is I who will be judged for this debacle, not Suarez.'
'Surely Commander Pizarro will not blame you for the actions of this maniac?'
'Pizarro is not an ordinary man and he has little or no patience for incompetence. I can assure you I will be judged harshly for losing his nephew and a chance at finding the
Loud laughter once again sprang up from the beach area. As both officers turned and walked toward their men, another round of loud and raucous howling came from the lagoon. Upon entering the small clearing, they saw Suarez holding something in the air as the other soldiers hooted loudly, several even patting each other on their
