* * * * *

Bryce Paxton--CIA Deputy Director of Miniscule Operations--watched through the one-way mirror as Dr. Ezra Long began the polygraph test.

"True or false? Your name is Pierre LeGrande.

"False."

"True or false? Your name is Helmut Petermann."

"True."

"True or false? You were born in what is now Dresden, East Germany, on April 1, 1923."

"True."

"True or false? This would make your current age forty-seven years and one month."

"True."

"True or false? You are a double-agent for the KGB."

"True."

"True or false? Your cover is that of a Swiss bank auditor."

"True."

"True or false? This allows you to act as a middleman in funding all sorts of clandestine activities, for the KGB, throughout the Western Hemisphere."

"True."

Paxton turned off the wall-mounted intercom. The stenographer sitting to Dr. Long's right would provide a verbatim transcript of the entire session, in a few hours, anyway. Right now, he was more interested in the old file he had withdrawn from the Company vault. Like all the other such files, concerning the World War II exploits of the Office of Strategic Services (the CIA's predecessor), this one was on microfilm.

Putting it on to the reel-to-reel viewer, he began reading it, frame-by-frame.

* * * * *

"Excerpts from the personal journal of Herr Doktor Gustave Liebenkraft (as translated by Robert H. Phillips, 1st Lt., U.S. Army Intelligence, on detached service w/t O.S.S.)."

"28 June, 1903:

Father gave me a diary for my tenth birthday, today. He says I should use it to record only my most important thoughts. I solemnly promised him I would do so. And, I swear to God that I will keep that promise!"

* * * * *

"4 Sept. 1911:

I started classes at the University of Leipzig, today.
Now, I am truly closer to being a man."

* * * * *

"1 Oct. 1912:

Today, I was doubly blessed! Not only did I meet the famous American archeologist, Howard Phillips, who is currently a Visiting Professor, here. But, he will be teaching the exact same course, on ancient civilizations, that I will be attending!!"

* * * * *

"21 June 1913:

Today, I received what I can only describe as an early 20th birthday gift. And, it is the best one I could have hoped for. Herr Professor awarded me an A-plus for my term paper! He said he was much impressed by how I defended my assertion that the Lotophagi, in Homer's 'Odyssey,' might actually have been a Phoenician religious sect that had become addicted to the fruits of the Mexican sapotle plant. He has suggested that, after I graduate next year, I should come work for him as one of his research assistants."

* * * * *

"21 Nov. 1918:

It is a miracle! How else can I describe meeting my old professor, the day after my release from prison camp? We became reacquainted (over some American beer), and he told me how he was conscripted by the American army as a military intelligence linguist. But, now that the war is over, he is going to resume his archeological work. More importantly, he has remembered his old promise to me. And, he has convinced me to attend his old alma mater in striving towards my master's degree!"

To be continued?

* * * * *

The polygraph test continued.

"True or false?" asked Dr. Long: "You wish to defect to the United States."

"True," replied the man now known as "Pierre LeGrande" (for what seemed like the hundredth time).

"True or false? The reason for your defection is due to the KGB's betrayal of your loyalty."

"True!"

Dr. Long had no trouble detecting the bitterness in that emphatic response. But, he maintained his calm and clinical detachment as he continued working his way down the list of questions.

Meanwhile, in the adjoining room behind the one-way mirror, Bryce Paxton kept on reading the microfilmed diary of Gustave Liebenkraft.

* * * * *

"15 Jan. 1923:

I finally have the topic for my master's thesis!"

" 'It is my firm belief that the Apples of the Hesperides (from Greek mythology) and the Golden Apples of Idunn (from Norse mythology) are basically describing the same thing: lemons! More specifically; yellow bitrons (hybrids of bitter orange and citron). Traded by Polynesian seafarers, to pre-Columbian Inca Indians, for sweet potatoes. Then, traded by the Incas, to Phoenician seafarers as payment for Cornish tin. And, finally? Traded by the Phoenicians, in turn, to ancient Cornishmen, for tin-mining rights. Yet, odd as it may sound, it is not the above that I intend to validate with this thesis. But, rather, the mystery of how these proto-lemons reached pre-Germanic Scandinavia that I wish to hypothetically solve.' "

"I can only hope the thesis committee does not reject it."

* * * * *

"7 Feb. 1923:

"It has been accepted, unconditionally. Vunderbar!"

* * * * *

"1 Apr. 1923:

I met Professor Phillips, again, after returning from Easter services, this morning. And, he has told me a most interesting tale."

"It seems that he was recently approached, after a lecture in San Francisco, by a man who identified himself as Matthew Lancer. This man claimed to be a former soldier-of-fortune! And, he further claimed that--sometime before the turn of the century--he had played poker with a retired Dutch sea captain named Vandersnatch. The latter was a widower. And, towards the end of the card game, he bet the only thing he had left that was of any monetary value. Something he had inherited from his late wife (a Chinese woman from Sinkawang in the Dutch East Indies)."

"A map to the fabled island of Kapu Hiva."

" 'The Forbidden Island?' I had exclaimed: 'But, surely you don't believe him! That's just a Polynesian fairy tale. No more real than Atlantis!' "

"To my immense embarrassment, he smilingly reminded me how my countryman, Heinrich Schliemann, disproved similar beliefs once held by the rest of the world, regarding Homeric Troy."

" 'Even granting you that,' I then countered: '...and assuming that this map is genuine, how did this Dutchman's wife come by it?' "

" 'According to Vandersnatch?' my old professor replied: 'She was descended from the great Admiral Zheng, who apparently lost a treasure ship to one of its coral reefs.' "

"It was then the proverbial light dawned on me."

" 'You're going after the treasure! Aren't you?' "

"Professor Phillips shrugged: 'You cannot deny that it would be a unique opportunity to restore some long-lost artifacts to the world.' "

" 'It would also immortalize your professional reputation when you finally retire, next year,' I sarcastically added."

"Professor Phillips smile broadened into a child-like grin. The kind a shamelessly mischievous little boy might wear!"

" 'That certainly wouldn't hurt.' "

tbc

* * * * *

Deputy Director Paxton squinted up at the ceiling, in puzzlement.

"Phillips; Phillips. Why does that name sound so familiar?"

As he had no other clue to go on, he had one of his administrative aides contact the Library of Congress for anything they could find on an archeologist named "Howard Phillips."

The information was in his hands in less than an hour-and-a-half.

The beige folder he had been given contained photocopies from THE DICTIONARY OF AMERICAN BIOGRAPHY series. And, according to them, Howard Ashton Phillips had been born on July 4, 1859, on the Hawaiian island of Oahu, to Aaron and Amanda Phillips.

A Quaker missionary couple from Pennsylvania, their son's religious upbringing proved somewhat more liberal than that usually found in the Protestant faiths of the New England-bred missionaries they encountered. Such being the case, they had not only _not_ regarded it as "potentially blasphemous," when their son became curious about the pre-Christian history and cultural beliefs of their Hawaiian neighbors. They encouraged it as perfectly normal!

Furthermore, when Chinese and Japanese immigrants began arriving in the islands, his fascination with them prompted him to major in Oriental Studies at the University of Pennsylvania. Which was followed, in turn, by his post-graduate attendance of Doshisha University in Japan.

By the time he was forty, he had not only earned his doctorate in archeology. He had also caused some controversy with one of the articles he had been contributing to THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC magazine for ten years. Specifically; the article which basically suggested that the conical hats worn by the Nootka Indians (of the North American Pacific Northwest) might be indicative of pre-Columbian contact with Chinese seafarers!

Paxton could not help half-smiling at that part before he resumed reading.

"When the United States declared war on Germany in April, 1917, Phillips immediately and patriotically offered his services to Army Intelligence as a translator of German (having learned the dialect spoken by his Amish maternal grandmother). Despite being almost twice the maximum age limit for conventional conscription, they accepted. After the Armistice of 1918, he resumed his archeological research. Ultimately disappearing on an expedition to the Central Indo-Pacific region in 1923."

That last sentence made Paxton frown with uneasiness. So, he reloaded the microfilm back on to his reel-to-reel reader, and fast-forwarded to where he had left off.

* * * * *

"16 Apr. 1923:

Today, I finally met this Matthew Lancer. He is about fifteen years older than Howard. And, despite his frequent use of contemporary American slang, the phrasing of his colloquial English indicates extensive higher education. He also has a swarthy complexion that is not merely the result of being a soldier-of-fortune in tropical climes."

"I would wager that he is of partial Hispanic descent. But, I will not say so to his face. He might be over-sensitive about that. And, despite his left leg being braced, I would also wager that he is not a total invalid."

"The cane he half-pretends to lean on so heavily, with his right hand, is of the type that usually conceals...a sword!"

tbc

"16 Apr. 1923 (cont.):

Professor Phillips introduced me to Herr Lancer who shook my left hand in his. And, I must admit; for a man of his age, it was surprisingly firm. Vindicating my first impression of him."

" 'So!' he exclaimed: 'I understand you're going to be joining our little expedition, as Howard's research assistant. Do you have much experience at that?"

" 'I have recorded and collated data on previous archeological digs, during my undergraduate days,' I replied: 'But, that was mostly in the Mediterranean region."

" He then asked me what I knew about the legend of Kapu Hiva. Assuming a stance with his cane that I can only describe as 'defiant.' "

" 'It is a proto-Polynesian myth,' I began: 'With certain parallels to the Sumerian myths about Gilgamesh and Utpashnatim. Perhaps, even pre-dating them. In any event; Maui the Trickster sought to achieve immortality by entering the body of Hina, goddess of the dead, disguised as a palolo worm. Essentially, back-tracking the birthing process!' "

" 'But, he looked so comical in his efforts, one of Maui's bird friends (who had accompanied him on his journey to Pulotu, the land of the dead), involuntarily began laughing out loud! This awoke the goddess, who had been sleeping, and she immediately shut her previously-open legs. Cutting Maui in half with her...vagina indentata.' "

" 'The news of Maui's death was brought to his mother, Taranga, by the bird Willy Wag-tail. And, so loud were her lamentations that they reached all the way up to the moon! Dwelling place of Hina's twin sister, Sina.' "

" 'Sina, moved by Taranga's sadness, took pity on her. Visiting the latter in her dreams, that very same night, she told Taranga that there was only one way to restore Maui to life. And, that was if Hina were tricked into eating the magical fruit of the soma'loa tree. Which would, in turn, make Hina regurgitate Maui!' "

" 'Unfortunately, this tree grew only in one place. The sacred island of Kapu Hiva. And, it was guarded by her husband Tinirau's mightiest warrior; Big Namba...the giant shark-man.' "

" 'Sina's answer to this was to change Taranga into a flying fox. Whereupon, Taranga was given directions to the sacred island and off she went.' "

" 'Yet, again, Willy Wag-tail played the traitor. He had overheard Taranga's end of the conversation, and followed the transformed woman to Kapu Hiva. Making it there ahead of her, just early enough to warn Big Namba. Seeing this treachery, Sina sent Mo'i Tuku-hali, Queen of the Sea Snakes, to aid Taranga. And, so great were the struggles between serpent and shark-giant that tidal waves inundated the entire world!' "

" 'It took the sea god Tangaroa, many, many months to make the flood waters recede. When that had been accomplished, Taranga and Sina were brought before Sky-father and Earth-mother for judgement. Sina's punishment was to spend only three nights of each month shining her full light upon the mortal world. In between each month, her sister Hina would rule the night!' "

"As for Taranga? Her actions had resulted in the death of Big Namba from Mo'i Tuku-hali's venom. So, it was only fitting that Taranga replace him as eternal guardian of the soma'loa tree!' "

" 'And, so, she became the first of the aitu ai-kanaka. The Spirits Who Eat Men.' "

tbc

* * * * *


"16 Apr. 1923 (cont.):

Herr Lancer remained quiet for a few moments. Then, he said: 'Not a bad recitation, Herr Liebenkraft. But, you labeled the myth as 'proto-Polynesian.' Does the rest of the archeological community agree with that labeling?' "

"I shook my head: 'Nein! Most of them are convinced that it is merely a post-Christianization adaptation of certain Bible stories. Slightly revised in terms that non-anglophonic Polynesians can more easily understand.' "

" 'What about these man-eating ghosts you mentioned? Do you think they have any basis in fact?' "

"I shrugged: 'German folklore is full of stories about 'vampiren' (reanimated corpses that feed on human blood). Natives of the Dutch East Indies have similar tales about blood-sucking dolls called 'jenglots!' The latter were probably influenced by Malayan Muslim seafarers telling second-hand tales about the corpse-eating ghoul of pre-Islamic Persian mythology. It is, therefore, equally probable that pre-Columbian Polynesian story-tellers were similarly influenced. Amalgamating those stories with their own folklore about cannibalistic enemy tribes.' "

"Professor Phillips smiled triumphantly, turned to Herr Lancer, and said: 'Convinced?' "

"Herr Lancer likewise smiled, and nodded. Then, he turned back to me and said: 'You're hired, Herr Liebenkraft. Get your affairs in order by this same time, tomorrow night. Because, that's when the three of us ship out!' "

* * * * *

"17 Apr. 1923:

I have finally met the rest of the expedition. In addition to ourselves and Herr Lancer (who still insists on dressing like a cinematic cowboy), there is also his bodyguard, Herr Jack 'the Hammer' Martelli. Plus, Captain Murgatroyd (captain of our transport vessel, the S.S. DEWITT CLINTON); his first mate, Herr Russell 'Rusty' Steele; Dr. Thomas Peter McGee, ship's physician; and Herr Joseph Svensen, a salvage expert from the former Danish West Indies (now the U.S. Virgin Islands)."

"We were all introduced to each other at a late supper, in the officers' mess, prepared and served by Keith Ulu, the ship's cook. In certain ways, he is the most interesting one of the lot!"

"For one thing, he appears to be a half-caste Polynesian. For another? He never goes anywhere without his pet parrot, Ephraim, perched on his right shoulder. And, not just any parrot. But, a New Zealand kea, at that!"

* * * * *

"20 Apr. 1923:

We have reached the Caribbean side of the Panama Canal. Herr Lancer was standing beside me as the ship entered the first lock. He remarked that it was exactly twenty-three years and two months since he had first crossed the Isthmus of Panama. At which time, the main mode of transport was still only a railroad."

" 'Three years, after that?' he added: 'I was running guns to the anti-Colombian rebels on behalf of Uncle Sam. So, one could say that--if not for me--this canal would never have been built!' "

" 'If that is even half-true, Herr Lancer,' I replied: '...then I must confess. I might be developing a strong dislike for your so-called 'Land of the Free and Home of the Brave.' "

"We exited from the Pacific side, eight hours later."

* * * * *

"22 Apr. 1923:

We met in the captain's cabin for the 'Big Unveiling' (as Herr Lancer called it)."

"The captain graciously consented to let Professor Phillips unroll the Vandersnatch map upon his desk. And, the professor did so with all the gentleness of a first-time father changing a newborn baby's diaper!"

" 'I realize that, to most of you, Chinese calligraphy looks like nothing more than lop-sided tic-tac-toe marks! But, I assure you; this map will lead us to a long-lost treasure-trove of inestimable value. Both financially _and_ historically!' "

"He added that those of his peers who did not doubt the existence of Kapu Hiva were of two minds on the subject."

" 'Half of them think it lies somewhere in the center of a triangle formed by Samoa, the Marquesas, and Easter Island. The other half think it lies much farther west. Somewhere in the Central Indo-Pacific (which, incidentally, is where the harbormaster back in Philadelphia has us officially bound).' "

" 'And, unofficially?' I asked."

" 'Well, I've done some cross-checking. Comparing these constellations drawn on the map, with their current Occidental names and celestial positions as listed at the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, England. If our calculations are correct? Then, Kapu Hiva is located right...about...here!' "

"He picked up a pencil and drew a circle on a contemporary geopolitical map of the world (unrolled to the right of the Vandersnatch map). And, I don't know whose eyebrows arched higher when the rest of us glimpsed precisely _where_ he had drawn it."

"It marked the exact intersection of the Equator with the International Date Line."

tbc

* * * * *

"22 Apr. 1923 (cont.):

'That's impossible!' Captain Murgatroyd was the first to exclaim: 'The IDL isn't supposed to touch land. The cartographers who originated it went to great lengths to insure that it didn't!"

"Professor Phillips smiled, once more: 'The IDL has only been in existence since 1884, Captain. While the very concept of it only goes back to the time of Magellan. And, this map _considerably_ pre-dates that.' "

" 'Even so! If this Chinese admiral managed to find this island, why hasn't it been repeatedly re-discovered, since then?' "

"Here, the professor could only shrug: 'Light refraction? Polynesian magic? Your guess is as good as mine. The only thing I know for certain is that it _was_ discovered by Admiral Zheng. Quite literally, by accident."

"The professor went on to tell them that, of all seven voyages made by Zheng He, only the records of the first five out-lived the Ming Dynasty. Records of the remaining two were ordered destroyed by the Ming Emperor Xuande, himself!"

" 'Fortunately, for us,' he concluded: '...he was accompanied on that seventh voyage by an expatriate Japanese ronin named Ishimura Takeo. Islamically renamed 'Ishmael Murad.' It seems the admiral hired him as master-at-arms for the flagship of the treasure fleet (in case they were attacked by wako*). But, after the admiral died at sea, Ishimura-san returned to Japan to seek employment with one of the Ashikaga-era warlords. Years later, he wrote his autobiography...which included his time with Ma San Bao (the admiral's Ming imperial court name). It also mentioned his marriage to the admiral's adopted daughter, Ma Lin Kuei!"

"In light of that remark, I took a long second look at the Vandersnatch map: 'Is that why this particular symbol is captioned in Japanese, Herr Professor?' And, to emphasize what I was talking about, I pointed to the strange illustration in question."

"His smile became a toothy grin, as he nodded: 'I was beginning to worry that you would _never_ catch that, Gustave. For those of you who don't read Japanese? This ideogram translates as 'Kujira-onna.' Which, in plain English means; 'Whale Woman.' You see, what initially resembles your standard medieval picture of a mermaid shows this particular one eating what looks like a sardine. Yet, if you take a closer look through this magnifying glass, you'll see that the so-called sardine is actually...a killer whale!' "

" 'And, that's what Ishimura claimed sunk the treasure ship we've come so far to find; not the wako who chased them all the way to Kapu Hiva. But, a giant ningyo (or mermaid), who destroyed both ships!' "

* * * * *

"23 Apr. 1923:

I don't know how I fell asleep, upon returning to my stateroom. My mind reeled so, with the information the professor had given us! Yet, somehow, I did just that; fall asleep. For, the next thing I know, I am landing on the floor of my stateroom with a thud!!"

"It is a few minutes before I get my bearings enough to realize that the ship is moving back-and-forth and up-and-down. Back-and-forth, and up-and-down. Quite violently, too! It is only after a thunderclap follows the bright flash of light at my porthole that I recognize the truth."

"We are in the middle of a thunderstorm, at sea. And, it is not even officially typhoon season, yet!"

tbc

* * * * *

"23 Apr. 1923 (cont.):

Somehow, I managed to find my spectacles, in all that confusion. A good thing, too. For, with the next pitch-and-roll (as the ship's crew called it), I found myself tossed against the wall containing the rain-lashed porthole."

"Fortunately, I had the instinctive presence of mind to outstretch both my arms. Letting the palms of my hands absorb the brunt of the impact. Then, I heard it. A pounding on the other side of my state room wall. Followed by someone frantically shouting my name."

" 'Mr. Liebenkraft! Help me! Please, help me!!' "

"It was not until the next lightning flash that I was able to put a face to the name. It was Drake, the second shift helmsman! Captain Murgatroyd had introduced him during a courtesy tour of the ship our first day out."

"Only, the congenial expression Drake had worn on his face, at that time, was a far cry from the panic-stricken one I had just now witnessed in that split second."

" 'Mr. Liebenkraft, for the love of God!!! You've got to heeeeeeEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!!!!' "

"Two seconds later, there was another lighting flash. And, for a moment, I thought I was looking at some obscene portrait of the Lady of the Lake, clutching Excalibur. That is; till I saw that giant right hand descend beneath the waves. The still-screaming Drake struggling helplessly in its grip!"

"It was then I must have fainted."

* * * * *

"I awoke five hours later, on a cot in the ship's infirmary. It took a few moments. But, I finally recognized the murmur of voices, off to my left, as those of Captain Murgatroyd, Professor Phillips, and Dr. McGee."

"According to the latter, during our conversation on that same first day out, he had originally been an American army doctor. But, during the World War, the DEWITT CLINTON had been a troop ship. And, a lot of the infantrymen, in the regiment to which he had been assigned for deployment to France, had never been at sea before. So, he spent most of the trip helping the resident ship's doctor (his predecessor) deal with their motion sickness."

" 'In the process,' he had concluded: '...we became good friends. And, two years ago, when he retired, he learned I had done likewise from the army. So, he asked me if I'd be interested in being his replacement! Obviously, I agreed.' "

"He now noticed that I was awake, and came over to stand by the foot of the bed. While Captain Murgatroyd and Herr Professor stood to my left."

" 'Hello, Gustave,' said the latter: 'How are you feeling?' "

"I half-smiled: 'Isn't _he_ supposed to ask me that? In the plural tense?' "

"Dr. McGee half-smiled back: 'I thought such an inquiry, made by a more familiar face, might be in order. Especially, in light of what we have to ask you, next.' "

"That is when it all came flooding back. Causing me to sit bolt upright, in the bed."

"Gott in Himmel! Drake...!!"

The doctor and the professor swiftly teamed up to push me back down. The captain observed this all with a grim expression on his face.

" 'When Drake went off-duty, last night, I asked him to inspect all the lifeboats along the port-side, before he turned in. To make sure they were secured against the waves breaking over the side. This morning, just after sun up, we found his boots parallel to the porthole of your state room. Did you...see what happened, Mr. Liebenkraft?' "

"Before I could formulate an answer, I heard a far-off cry of: 'Land hooooooooooooo!' "

tbc

* * * * *

"23 Apr. 1923 (cont.):

'Everything jake, Jack?' " Herr Lancer had asked.
And, Herr Martelli gave him two thumbs' up. Signifying that our equipment had weathered last night's storm perfectly."

"We have arrived at our destination; the fabled island of Kapu Hiva. And, it is a beautiful place, I must admit. Lush, tropical foliage worthy of the Garden of Eden. But, that is somewhat offset by a smoldering volcano in the distant center of the island!"

"We will start our search at the site of where Zheng's treasure ship went down (according to Professor Phillps and the Vandersnatch map). From there, we will fan outward in grids. The grid-searching to be done using a dozen glass-bottomed skiffs with outboard motors. Reinforced by an autogyro floatplane for aerial reconnaissance."

"If and when we find the treasure ship, two Mathis motor launches will tow a pontoon-supported wooden raft into position, as a central staging platform for the deep-sea divers. And, if they should ultimately be required to do any salvaging at night? They will have access to one of a hundred calcium carbide lamps that were custom-made-to-order by the W.H. Tilley Company, in England. To wit: encasing them in globes of Nonex glass, which in turn have been stuffed into sealskin pouches with one opening provided for the outward shining of light."

"When Professor Phillips reassured me that he and Herr Lancer had thought of everything, I reminded him of Kujira-onna."

" 'Oh, come now!' he chided me, good-naturedly: 'Do you really think a mer-giantess inhabits these waters? I thought you were above such superstition! What more likely happened here, almost five hundred years ago, is both ships simply got caught in the middle of a fight between a pack of orcas and a mother sperm whale defending her calf.' "

" 'If you say so, Herr Professor.' "

"I still could not bring myself to tell him about what I thought I had seen happen to poor Drake."

* * * * *

"26 Apr. 1923:

Success!!! And, none too soon! Tempers have been getting shorter and shorter with each disappointment and false alarm. But, this time, the pilot of the autogyro spotted what he was certain was too perfect a circle to be a natural part of the coral reef. So, the launches finally went into operation."

"Two hours later, Herr Svensen and his divers confirmed it. There is a dragon-shaped vessel sitting on the ocean floor, less than three miles to the southeast of where it originally went down! There is a hole in the portside, nearest the stern, where it apparently hit a submerged rock. Or, perhaps, was hit _by_ some angry cetacean."

" 'Was there any sign of the pirate ship?' Professor Phillips had asked (rather excitedly). Herr Svensen shook his head in reply. He had then frowned and added: 'There was an awful lot of brain coral surrounding it, though. If they had been mushrooms, I would have called it a 'fairy circle!' "

* * * * *

"27 Apr. 1923:

We have begun bringing the first pieces of salvage to the surface. Nothing of any monetary value, however. Not yet, anyway. Merely the bric-a-brac one might take for granted during a life at sea, in that era."

"Still, I am glad for the professor's sake. He will be much vindicated when we finally return home!"

* * * * *

"28 Apr. 1923:

My good mood of yesterday was spoiled by the strange dream I had, last night. It was not like the half-awake nightmare I had had the stormy night poor Drake had died. This one was more peaceful, by comparison."

"In this one, I was walking through the island jungle. The thickness of the foliage about me kept me from seeing whether it was day or night. Yet, I was not afraid. For, somehow, I knew where I was going!"

"Then, suddenly, the foilage was gone. And, I found myself standing on the western shore of an immense lagoon. I turned to my left, and started walking northward along that beach. It was night-time. I could see that, now. And, there was no moon (even though it should be third quarter)!"

"Yet, again, I did not stop, for I knew where I was going. Thus, I continued walking until I saw...

"...HER!!"

"She was one hundred feet tall, at least. Sitting atop a cliff as easily as I might sit in an ordinary arm chair. She had long blackish-brown hair that fell down past, and covered, her otherwise naked breasts. And, the only thing covering her sleek, lovely legs was a red-and-white floral print skirt that came down only to her knees."

"Her feet, which she stretched outward into the lagoon for playful moistening, were bare."

" 'Hello, Gustave,' " she said, finally looking downward at me, with a coy smile."

" 'Konichiwa, Kujira-onna,' I replied with a bow (using my admittedly limited knowledge of Japanese)."

" 'Please!' she exclaimed, placing her gigantic right hand over shrouded left breast: 'Call me by my true name. Call me...Taranga.' "

tbc

* * * * *

"28 Apr. 1923 (cont):

'To what do I owe the pleasure of your company, Fraulein Taranga?' I asked (thereby subtly insisting on keeping things semi-formal, at least). "

"She smiled, as she replied: 'I want to save you and your comrades from yourselves.' "

"I confessed that I did not understand what she meant."

" 'There is a cursed object aboard that ship, Gustave. One that will be the death of you all if you do not leave it where it is!' "

" 'Is it some personal possession of yours, related to your imprisonment, here?' I asked."

"She shook her head, and sighed: 'Perhaps it would be easier if I showed you.' "

"Whereupon, she got to her feet and began to remove her skirt! And, she laughed as I gasped. For, instead of dropping it to her feet, as I had half-expected, she merely waved it up and down. Like a stage magician's cape. And, with similar results."

"Her legs had now conjoined into a giant fish's tail... with scales of the purest silver!"

"Laughing, again, at my open-mouthed astonishment, she leaped forward into the lagoon. Landing with enough force to shower me with water, and soak my clothes to the skin. Still laughing, she rolled over and sat up. Thereby allowing her to grab me up in both hands. Naturally, I tried to protest. But, she silenced me with a salty-tasting kiss (her lips covering my entire head and upper torso)!"

" 'I hope you are good at holding your breath, little one," she playfully remarked."

" 'W-W-What do you mean?' I asked, already half-suspecting the answer."

" 'We are going for a little swim in the ocean...and down the River of Time.' "

"Whereupon, she rolled back on to her stomach; bounched upright on to the flukes of her tail; placed me in her right hand, entirely; and then jumped once more."

"The impact with ocean surface outside the lagoon nearly drove the breath from my lungs. As did the torrent of bubbles she formed from her swift path through the depths. Then, just as I figured I could not hold my breath anymore, she rolled over on to her back a second time. Placing her right hand over her ferally-grinning mouth!"

"For a moment, I thought she was going to swallow me. But, instead, all she did was blow me upwards in a veritable geyser of bubbles. I broke the ocean's surface, gasping for breath. The next moment, however, I was sucked back under by a massive whirlpool. A whirlpool caused by Taranga inhaling water!"

"I thought that I was truly done for, this time. Yet, again, she blew me upward. Only to reverse the process a second time. And, then, repeat the whole torment a third time. Then, a fourth time. And, a fifth!"

"She topped toying with me only when she saw how nearly exhausted to death I was. Whereupon, she finally swam up to the surface, herself. There, she raised her head above the waves, so that only her eyes and the bridge of her nose were showing."

"This I saw, in her reflection in the seawater, while I inhaled and exhaled on top of her head. When my lungs had finally regained their equilibrium, she pointed something out to me."

" 'Behold, Gustave,' she said (in a 'voice' that I seemed to hear mentally, rather than physically): 'Man's inhumanity to man, in the pursuit of wealth and worldly power.' "

"What I saw was a naval battle. Between a Cantonese dragon ship, larger than any such I had ever seen before, and three smaller vessels. Specifically; two pirate dhows of the type used by the Bugis people of the Dutch East Indies. And, a slightly larger vessel of the type that the Byzantine Empire had often referred to as a dromon! Only, this one flew a banner with Japanese ideograms from its equivalent of a crow's nest. Furthermore, the bow was decorated with a figurehead that I recognized as a shachihoko. A tiger-headed sea monster, from Japanese folklore, which most mythologists regarded as ancient misidentifications of the orca, or killer whale."

"Only, this representation was capable of projecting fire from its perpetually open mouth! And, Greek fire from the looks of it. For the crew of the Cantonese dragon ship that leaped overboard, in an effort to douse the flames, tragically failed to do so."

"Then, the strangest thing, yet, occurred. The air rippled, like a wave of heat. Or, should I say 'like a film dissolve?' Because, the next thing I knew, I had a close-up view of the hand-to-hand fighting going on aboard the dragon ship! And, between two combatants, in particular."

"To my right, there was a Japanese ronin (or mercenary samurai), with long black hair...and a slightly longer katana. While to my left was his opponent. An Occidental with salt-and-pepper hair and matching beard; a basket-hilted maine-gauche (with sword-breaking ricasso); and one of those quaintly-named 'hand-and-a-half' swords (with a painted black cruciform hilt)."

"What truly caught my eye, however, was the chain mail shirt he wore. On top of it was a sleeveless white tunic...offset by a black Maltese cross."

"Just as the two began to trade blows, Taranga suddenly lifted me up off her head and threw me back in the direction of Kapu Hiva!"

" 'Beware, Gustave!' I heard her call out, just before I awoke: 'Beware the Curse of Le Bec-de-bardiche Giserne Chinois!' "

"I sat bolt upright in my bed, my sheets and under-garments drenched with sweat. At first, I did not know where I was. Then, I remembered the dream. Especially the francophonic tail-end of it!"

" 'Beware of the Chinese Bill-hooked Battleaxe?' I muttered."

tbc

* * * * *

"28 Apr. 1923 (cont.):

When the professor knocked on my stateroom door, I kept quiet. Thereby making him think I had gotten up early and gone to breakfast ahead of him. This way, I could sneak into his stateroom, and...rummage through his personal journal (may God forgive me!)."

"Being familiar with the way he personally filed things, it did not take me long to make my first discovery. But, it was not his diary. Rather, it was his transliteration of the Ishimura autobiography. And, that was what led to my second discovery."

"Namely; that Professor Phillips had not been entirely truthful with us."

"First of all; Ishimura Takeo had been no ordinary ronin. He had, in fact, been the bastard grandson of Go-Kameyama (Japan's last Southern Court Emperor)! And, 'Ishmael Murad' is what he _personally_ chose to rename himself when he married the half-Chinese daughter of Zahir Khan. A Persianized Mongol warlord who became the captain-general of a pirate fleet out of Debal, using a dromon designed and built for him (under the supervision of a Nestorian Greek shipwright named Spiros Proxenos) as his flagship."

"Furthermore, Zahir Khan's daughter had not only _never_ been the adoptive daughter of Admiral Zheng. Her given name was not even 'Lin Kuei!' "

"It was Kuen Pu."

"Lin Kuei was actually the name of the Chinese secret society with whom Ishimura and his father-in-law had secretly been in league when Zheng's treasure ship was first chased to this island."

"I had only just started to read about Ishimura's personal duel with a white man he called 'the Black Cross Gaijin,' when it happened. There was a sudden slamming sound from the direction of the stateroom door! I jumped in my seat, and instinctively looked up."

"Professor Phillips had returned from breakfast."

" 'Something I can help you with, Gustave?' "

"Yes, Herr Professor. You can tell me why you lied to us. About almost everything."

"He folded his arms, and leaned back against the door."

" 'Why? Because, among other things, that derelict dragon ship out there went down carrying...the long-lost Golden Dagger-Axe of Hsia Jie!' "

"I could not help gasping when he uttered that last part."

"What little I knew of ancient Chinese history I had learned, at Leipzig, from Professor Phillips, himself. That is how I knew that the Hsia Dynasty had allegedly preceded the much-more verifiable Shang Dynasty. That Emperor Hsia Jie, the last of that line, was said to have been a tyrant. And, that his much-illustrated symbol of power--a primitive form of halberd called a 'dagger-axe' or 'ji,' with an image of the Chinese war god Chi Yue carved on top of the axe head--had purportedly been made of solid gold."

" 'The Hsia Jie-ji truly exists?' "

"He nodded: 'I've spent nineteen of the last twenty years slowly gathering proof of it. Which is how I've learned the following. It was initially confiscated from its hiding place, in India, by Alexander the Great. It was later brought to Rome, by Julius Caesar, and stored in the Temple of Lua.* It was stolen from there, during the chaos of Nero's Fire, and smuggled to the island of Gorgona, where it was buried on the future construction site of a Benedictine abbey.' "

" 'That abbey was sacked and burned, in the sixth century A.D., by Saracen pirates from Morocco. Four hundred years later, it was stolen from them by Danish Vikings. One of whose descendants (a Norman Knight Templar) reportedly died in action, wielding it against the Mongolian invaders of Poland in the thirteenth century!' "

" 'After that, it spent the next two hundred years passing through the hands of the Templars, the Carthusians, the Maronites in Syria, and--finally--the Knights Hospitallers on Rhodes.' "

"That immediately stirred a recollection in my mind."

" 'The Black Cross Gaijin,' I half-whispered.' "

"Professor Phillips nodded: 'Some of the captured documents I translated for G-2, during the World War, turned out to be German copies of French military records...dating back to the Franco-Prussian War! They mentioned certain church records being seized by Napoleon Bonaparte's forces during the French occupation of Malta in 1798. I got a look at the originals, in Malta, a month after the Armistice was signed. And, they mentioned Sir Alan Fitzmaurice D'Angleterre as the Knight Hospitaller chosen to _return_ the Hsia Jie-ji to India."

" 'Return it?' I echoed, incredulously."

"He nodded again: 'You see, by the fifteenth century, the Golden Dagger-Axe had come to be regarded as an _unholy_ relic. And, the only way to nullify the curse on it was to return it from whence it came. So, Sir Alan was given that mission. Which he attempted to carry out by posing as a Mercedarian, out to exchange himself for some hostage Nasrani Christians. But, obviously, those plans were thwarted by Ishimura, who was Zahir Khan's inside man aboard Zheng's treasure ship.' "

" 'That is all very fascinating, Herr Professor,' I declared: 'But, you have still not answered my original question. So, I shall rephrase it. Why were you not up front about all this from the start? Especially, with me?' "

"Before he could reply, there were several screams from the port bow of the ship. Followed by the unmistakable sound...of gunshots!"

tbc

* * * * *

"28 Apr. 1928 (cont.):

We ran from the stateroom as one. When we got to the port bow, we saw pandemonium reigning."

"Closest to us, I saw Herr Martelli reholstering a Colt .45 Model 1911. While Herr Lancer stood to his right, impaling something against the bulkhead with the blade of his sword-cane. Something that, as we trotted closer, immediately became distiguishable as...a foot-long squid!"

"Somehow, Professor Phillips and I managed to make our way through the ever-increasing huddle of sailors to observe Captain Murgatroyd lying on deck. The left side of his neck scarred with strange circular marks."

" 'Rusty!' " exclaimed the professor: 'What in Heaven's name...?' "

"The first mate looked up, a most grim expression on his face."

" 'I was strolling with the skipper, who was about to smoke his customary after-breakfast pipe, and he asked Mr. Lancer if he and Jack would like to join us. They agreed. Jack happened to glance over the side, and noticed a lot of barracuda shoaling just below the surface of the water. The next thing I know, it's raining flying squid! The majority missed us. But, one landed on the skipper's neck. And, another would have landed right smack-dab on Mr. Lancer's face, if not for Jack's marksmanship!' "

"Herr Steele had then yelled for someone to fetch Dr. McGee, while Herr Lancer used his sword-cane to skewer the squid on the captain's neck. Right through one of its own eyes!"

" 'Looks like we'll be having calamari for lunch, today,' Herr Martelli quipped."

" 'That's not funny!' growled the first mate."

"Fortunately, any further dressing down of Herr Lancer's bodyguard was silenced by the swift arrival of Dr. McGee. He examined Captain Murgatroyd for a few seconds. Then, with Herr Martelli's help, they half-carried/half-dragged the captain to the infirmary."

"Everyone waited in the anteroom for the first twenty minutes. Finally, Dr. McGee told everyone the captain had been stabilized, and that they should resume their normal shipboard routines. To which, Herr Steele, as acting captain, nodded in agreement. Clapping his hands in authoritative affirmation of his verbal command for all to return to duty."

"All thought of my earlier converastion with Professor Phillips was forgotten as I finally ate a belated breakfast. I had no sooner finished than Keith Ulu came over to my table and whispered that Dr. McGee wished to see me in the infirmary. I hurriedly complied. And, en route, I met the professor, Herr Lancer, Herr Martelli, and Herr Svensen."

"Herr Steele was already present."

" 'Gentlemen?' he began: 'I have something to show you. Dr. McGee had me look at it first, so I'd have no doubt by the time I summoned the rest of you. Take a look at Captain Murgatroyd."

"He directed us to the cot by which Dr. McGee was standing. When we joined him, we were naturally all quite puzzled. Our puzzlement, however, gradually turned to shock and disbelief when he directed us to look at the captain, himself."

"The venerable merchant mariner had been stripped down to gray boxer shorts, and was now reposed with a bottle of intravenous fluid in his left arm. But, that was not all. It took all of us a minute or two to realize it. Yet, when we did, we nearly gasped in unison."

"The good captain had shrunken by two feet!"

" 'Gott in Himmel!' I exclaimed: 'How...?' "

"The doctor shook his head: 'I don't know. I had no sooner finished dressing his neck wound, after giving him a shot of anti-venin as a routine precaution, and he suddenly collapsed! By the time I carried him over here, his clothes were literally starting to slide off his body!! A quick measure with a yardstick proved that I was not hallucinating. Captain Murgatroyd had shrunken to four feet/nine inches tall!!! And, he's _still_ shrinking. To say I've never seen anything like this is putting it mildly. If the captain's to have any chance at all, gentlemen, we have to end this expedition, immediately(!), and head for the nearest major port."

"I was the only one who did not instinctively protest. Not that it would have done any good if I had protested, as well. For, as acting captain, Herr Steele had the last word on the subject."

"So, we spent the rest of that day getting ready to debark for the U.S. naval station on Midway Island. And, again, I was the only one who did not look crestfallen about it. For my dream about Taranga, and her warnings about the cursed dagger-axe, were still quite vividly ensconced in my mind."

* * * * *

"29 Apr. 1923:

We will not be departing for Midway as originally intended. For, we have been boarded by pirates!"

tbc

* * * * *

"29 Apr. 1923 (cont.):

I had to gone to bed, last night, thinking our troubles were almost behind us. Dr. McGee had shown, to me, what he had uncovered during his necropsy of the flying squid that had bitten Captain Murgatroyd.* You see, Dr. McGee had once been stationed at an Hawaiian cavalry outpost on Oahu, where he often had to double as a veterinarian for the horses. Between that, and annual physicals for Keith Ulu's pet kea, he had found it advisable to keep himself updated on all branches of zoology, when off-duty."

"He had invited me to take a look under his microscope. So, I did. And, naturally, I was astounded."

" 'A seahorse?!' I had exclaimed."

"He nodded: 'At first glance, it resembles a larval Hippocampus zosterae. But, when one takes a closer look at the eyes and tail, one sees a different story, entirely."

"I took a second look. And, I immediately saw what he meant. At the tip of the prehensile tail was some kind of barb. While the eyes..."

" 'Its eyes,...!' I repeated aloud, trying to give voice to my astonishment."

"He nodded again: '...placed directly in front of its head. Binocular vision and a scorpion-like stinger! I don't know what the naval doctors at Midway are going to make of it. But, they'll have plenty of duplicate specimens to choose from. Because, all the other intact flying squids had them, too!"

"He was right. Each of the other specimens bore the same resemblance to medieval illustrations I now recalled seeing of a mythological, snake-like creature called 'the seps.' I went to bed, shortly after that. When I awoke? I found a pair of Mauser Gewehr 98's pointed right at my head!"

"The men wielding these rifles were both wearing what looked like Imperial German naval uniforms. Except they had been dyed completely black. And, the older of the pair appeared to be the immediate superior of the other."

" 'Raus!' he ordered me."

"Without even being allowed to put on a bathrobe, I was subsequently marched at gunpoint to the crew's mess. Where I found the rest of the expedition under similar circumstances."

"When I had been pushed to the ground in the only remaining vacancy, the man who appeared to be the commanding officer of these brigands stepped forth."

" 'Guten morgen, mein herren!' he commenced: "Ich bein Herr Kapitan Erich von Hauptmann of Das Unterseeboot Teufelfisch. Formerly, a commerce raider mit Der Kaiserliche Marine out of Tsingtao and the Marianas. Now, self-employed. For the most part! Ist das nicht so, Josef?"

"The rest of us gaped in shock as Herr Svensen rose to his feet, grinning, and walked nonchalantly over to stand by Von Hauptmann's side!"

" 'Mein herren? Meet Herr Josef Ulrich Schmidt of Schleswig-Holstein. Formerly, an undercover agent of Der Kaiserliche Heer Militarnachrichtendienst. He has been secretly keeping me up to date on your salvage operations. And, last night, he notified me of your plans to cease those operations ahead of schedule. I am afraid I cannot permit that.' "

"And, why should that matter to you, Herr Kapitan?" I demanded (finally finding my voice).

"He smiled at me: 'Because, mein fellow Deutschlander, I have been retained by a certain Warlord Chen Ying to secure the Hsia Jie-ji for him! He has been most grateful for the American tommy-guns I have been supplying him, these past two years. But, with the Hsia Jie-ji in his possession, he would be able to rally many more ex-Imperial Chinese troops to his cause. Which, right now, includes wiping out that troublesome coalition of Nationalists and Communists.' "

"The rest of our fellow captives were, of course, completely baffled by most of what he had said. But, Professor Phillips and I looked at each other in complete startlement. Only now realizing that I was not the only one who had been going through his private papers."

"Suddenly, however, the CLINTON began rocking back and forth, as if from great turbulence in the water. At the same time, frantic shouting came from the direction of the starboard bow."

" 'Herr Kapitan! Herr Kapitan! Alarm! Alarm!' "

"Von Hauptmann immediately raced in that direction, to find out what was going on. A minute later, he, too, began shouting frantically in German."

"He began shouting for his U-boat to turn one hundred eighty degrees, and begin firing her bow-facing cannon."

tbc

* * * * *

"29 Apr. 1923:

A few moments later, we all heard Von Hauptmann shout those three little words: 'Feuer! Schnell! Schnell!' Followed by the boom of the U-boat's deck gun. And, then, the staccato chatter of small arms fire (including Von Hauptmann's Luger and a belt-fed Maschinegewehr 08)."

"The sailors left behind to guard us became increasingly nervous as the gunshots and cannonade continued. But, what entered the mess hall next positively un-nerved us as well as them. It was a two foot-tall creature! With the build of a half-grown chimpanzee; the body and coloration of a frog; and, an equine head with a mouth of shark-like teeth!"

"In short, it resembled a cross between a Filipino tik-balang and a Japanese kappa."

"Yet, it was not this unnatural mixture of features that elicited a gasp of shock from Dr. McGee. It was the over-sized gray boxer shorts the creature was trying to hold up with its webbed left hand!"

" 'Captain Murgatroyd?!' "

"The creature turned, seemingly in recognition, and looked at the situation before it. Whereupon, it (or, should I say 'he?') leaped into the air, with a blood-curdling roar. Landing on the nearest of our stunned guards...and ripping out his throat with its teeth!"

"The dead man's shipmates immediately opened fire, to avenge him. Emptying every bullet in their respective clips into the strange creature. This, however, distracted them from what Keith Ulu did next."

" 'KEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!' "

"His feathered friend, Ephraim, seemed to appear from out of nowhere. Flying at the second nearest of our guards, and attempting to blind him with beak and claw. Which, in turn, allowed Ulu to unsheath the bladed segment of Herr Lancer's sword-cane...and throw it like a spear at our third nearest guard."

"It promptly imbedded itself in the left side of the latter's throat. By which time, Herr Lancer had sprung to his feet, and was yelling..."

"Chaaaaaaaaaaaarge!"

"Those are the last words he would ever yell, as one of the remaining guards managed to fire off a shot and kill him, before our superior numbers tackled him and his comrades to the floor. Subduing them with no gentleness whatsoever."

"We quickly reloaded the now-empty rifles, while Herr Martelli took back his confiscated Colt .45, in addition to his now-dead employer's Rogers & Spencer revolver. He handed the latter to Professor Phillips, who initially shook his head. That is; until I reminded him what it said in Ecclesiastes about a time for everything. He looked at me, for a second. Then, he nodded."

"In the meantime, acting Captain Steele was bent over the creature."

" 'We'll get them for you, Skipper. Count on it!' "

"With that, we split our forces. Captain Steele leading half the crew to retake the wheelhouse. And, Herr Martelli (a former military policeman) leading the rest of us toward the bow, from where the sounds of a heavy battle still emanated."

"I will never know how Captain Steel and his men reacted. But, I can guess. For our contingent was stunned in its tracks when we reached the portside of the bow."

"Dead ahead of us, sitting in the ocean like a child in a shallow bathtub, was Taranga. In all her glory! Arms akimbo, like the Colossus of Rhodes. And, a condescending smile, on her face, for the officers and crew of Von Hauptmann's U-boat."

"All this while their bullets and artillery shells bounced harmlessy off her enormous--and perfect--breasts."

tbc

* * * * *

"29 Apr. 1923 (cont.):

From where we surreptitiously watched on the port bow, I saw the fusillade continue. Von Hauptmann had augmented his Luger with an attachable carbine stock. I could also see that some of his pirates were armed with the American-made Thompson sub-machine guns he had mentioned earlier. Yet, even these, for all their notoriety, could not penetrate the wondrous globes of flesh that were Taranga's breasts!"

"Finally, and in apparent desperation, I heard Von Hauptmann shout down to those of his crew who were still aboard the U-boat. Ordering them to prepare torpedos!"

"Moments later, they shouted back that the torpedo tubes were ready."

"When I had translated this for Herr Martelli and the others, he remarked that we would wait for the explosion of the first one. And, then, we would charge Von Hauptmann and the remainder of the boarding party with him! With those of us bearing firearms up front, as most of the rest only had steak and butcher knives."

" 'Feuer ein!' shouted the self-proclaimed privateer: 'Feuer zwei!' "

"Each command was accompanied by a whooshing sound from the water off the starboard bow. I looked up to see Taranga's reaction. But, though she looked down into the water at the approaching projectiles, she still only smiled. And, I soon knew why."

"Before the torpedos even reached her waistline, she leaned forward and scooped them out of the water. One, in each hand! And, then, as if she were conducting some obscene pencil test, she placed them squarely between her breasts!!"

"The ensuing 'ba-boom' was completely muffled. So, for a minute, no one moved as we all stared, transfixed by the plumes of charcoal-gray smoke issuing from Taranga's cleavage. Then, Taranga, ever so slowly..."

"...resumed smiling!!!"

"She giggled like a little girl who had just been tickled by her father. And, then, in less time than it takes to tell, she fell forward on to her breasts. Extinguishing the residual heat of the explosion, while simultaneously creating a massive wave that headed straight for 'The Teufelfische.' "

"That is when Herr Martelli finally barked the order."

" 'CHAAAAAAAAAAARGE!' "

"We commenced firing, first, taking out most of the pirates flanking Von Hauptmann to his left. The rest fell to the ad hoc short swords of THE CLINTON's loyal crewmen. Von Hauptmann, himself, was killed by Herr Martelli. Although, not before insuring it would be a Pyrrhic victory."

"I stayed by Professor Phillips' side, through all that bedlam. Therefore, we were the only ones to see the wave (caused by Taranga's breasts) swamp Von Hauptmann's U-boat! Capsizing it to port, and flinging everyone who was on its bow deck into the water."

"That is when it happened. I looked up at Taranga's face. And, she was not smiling, anymore. Instead, she now wore an expression of grim determination."

"Using her arms to crawl forward, like a toddler on a rug, she stopped only when she reached the U-boat. She then sat back up, with 'The Teufelfische' clutched in her hands. Like that same toddler, now playing with a bath toy."

"I became nauseous with horror as I watched her proceed to squeeze the U-boat. Forcing the bow and stern so close to each other, it now resembled an inactive accordion!"

"If there were any crewmen still below decks, in 'The Teufelfische,' there was no way they could have survived such treatment. Not without being crushed to bloody pulps! But, Taranga was not through, yet."

"Her upper and lower jaws suddenly separated. Just like a shark's! Whereupon, she dropped what was left of the U-boat down her throat!! Then, her mouth resumed its normal shape."

" 'Well, well, well!' she exclaimed, looking down at the handful of survivors treading water: 'It seems like I missed a few.' "

"Whereupon, she changed into a massive crab with four pairs of eighty-foot tall legs. And, a thirty-foot wide carapace! On top of which was an upside-down jellyfish, held in place by the hindmost pair of legs."

"I cannot begin to describe the outcries of mingled pain and horror emitted by Von Hauptmann's surviving crewmen as they were lifted from the water. One by one. And, then, dropped towards the waiting mouth of that giant jellyfish."

"They only stopped screaming upon being plucked out of the air by a bluish-green tentacle...and stung with a paralytic venom. Only then did they resume their fatal descent. And, when she had finally run out of these morsels, this giant crustacean turned towards us. Whereupon, I heard a familiar voice in my head say..."

" 'I warned you, Gustave.' "

"That is when she began advancing towards us."

tbc

"29 Apr. 1923 (cont.):

I could not help it."

"I just stood there, transfixed. Staring at this gigantic abomination as if I were hypnotized! And, I could sense that I was not the only one."

"Superficially, the species of crab she had transformed into resembled one of the heikegani of Japan. Brownish-gray, in color, with patches of algal green here and there on both the legs and carapace. And, the upside-down jellyfish taking up most of that carapace looked like a giant sea anemone!"

"This apparent spell was broken by the voice of Acting Captain Steele shouting from the wheelhouse that the ship was now ours again."

" 'Everybody get to their stations and prepare to weigh anchor," he added: 'We're getting the frig out of here! Now!' "

"But, even if the surviving crewmen had responded right that second, it still would have been too late for us. For, at that moment, Taranga reached us...and lifted the whole ship out of the water. Her left claw at the bow; her right claw at the stern!"

"Even more ominously, she began to tilt the ship at a right angle, in her direction. So, that we all began falling towards the portside railing. I cannot begin to describe the panic-stricken screams of the crewmen who were the first to fall overboard into the sea. I can only describe their subsequent fates."

"Stripped to the bones by barracuda with all the voracious rapidity of South American piranha!"

"Those of us who managed to hang on to the railing were randomly picked from it (like so much ripe fruit) by the tentacles of the giant jellyfish. And, the moment that paralytic venom hit their nervous systems, they could not even scream in protest like their shipmates."

"One of these unfortunates was Professor Phillips."

" 'Nein! NEIN!" I yelled at her: 'Take me, Taranga. Me! Not him.' "

"But, my plea was ignored. In fact, as if to spite me, she turned the ship downward another forty-five degress. Making Herr Steele and the rest of the bridge crew come tumbling out of the wheelhouse and into the sea!"

"And, I almost joined them. For, it was this point that my strength failed me and I let go of the railing."

"Yet, just as I was seconds from hitting the surface of the water, I felt something snatch at the neck of my pajamas. While, at the same time, I heard a great rush of wind that caused my face to be stung by salt spray."

"When I was able to see again, I found myself on the sandy shores of Kapu Hiva! Alongside Keith Ulu and Dr. McGee!! Even more incredibly, however?"

"I saw Taranga being attacked by a monstrously huge Ephraim the Kea!!!"

"It was dumb-founding. This falconry-trained parrot was now twice the size of Taranga's current form. And, using his wings to blow wave after wave in her direction. Just managing to hover out of reach of those coelenterate tentacles, all the while."

" 'Who are you?' " I heard that now-familiar voice in my head demand.

" 'I am known by many names,' replied a new, more masculine-sounding voice: 'The Maori of New Zealand call me 'Te Hokioi.' The Plains Cree of Canada call me 'Binesi the Thunderbird.' The Children of Israel call me 'Bar-Yuchenai.' In any event, I am a messenger for He Who Created All. And, He forbids you to harm anymore of these mortals.' "

" 'Begone, Outsider!' " ordered Taranga, pointing an accusatory pincer at him: 'Whatever your pantheon, you have no power, here. This is my realm! And, I merely punish those who trespass in it.' "

" 'KEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!' "

"I couldn't help it. The cry uttered from that massive avian throat was too shrill to listen to without covering my ears. A sentiment that Keith and Dr. McGee seemed to share. And, yet, the cry seemed to be more than physical. For, it evidently pained Taranga, as well!"

" 'Lies!' Ephraim now resumed speaking: 'You and I both know these mortals did not come here, seeking the forbidden fruit you guard. You _lured_ them here! Using a more worldly treasure you knew they could not resist. And, all to temporarily sate the unending hunger you were cursed with.' "

" 'What if I did?' " sneered Taranga: 'You cannot kill me for it! Not without the curse of my guardianship passing on to you.' "

" 'I think not,' replied Ephraim (in a tone only slightly less smug): 'For, as you so rightly pointed out, I am an Outsider. Thus, you would merely regenerate and resume your guardianship. By which time, however, I would have flown my three charges back home. Tasking them to make sure no other mortals ever visit this island!' "

" 'NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!' screamed Taranga. Emphasizing this protest by using her giant pincers to splash massive amounts of sea water up towards Ephraim. To no avail, though. For, Ephraim merely beat his wings all the faster. Simulaneously raising himself higher while using salt spray to blind her crustacean eyestalks."

"This was followed seconds later by twin forks of lightning streaming forth from his eyes with an almost-deafening crack!"

tbc

"29 Apr. 1923 (cont.):"

During the summer break following my first year of post-graduate school in America, I had been invited by Professor Phillips to visit the farmstead owned by his mother's Amish relatives. This farmstead included a water-powered grist mill. And, in the evenings, after getting to bed early, I would be lulled to sleep by the 'jug-o-rum' croaking of the mill pond's bullfrogs."

"What I now heard coming from behind me was not only similar. It was amplified!"

"I turned as one, with Keith Ulu and Dr. McGee. And, what we saw standing behind us probably chilled their blood as much as it did mine. There, emerging from the jungle at the top of the beach, was a long line of creatures. Each one identical to the tik-balang/kappa hybrid that Captain Murgatroyd had apparently transformed into!* "

"What is worse, they began to surround us in a pincer movement. And, despite their being two feet tall individually, I had seen for myself how just one of them had overpowered a taller, well-armed man. So, three unarmed men could hardly be expected to stand up to fifty of these creatures!"

"Their 'jug-o-rum' sound started to come faster. And, I knew that a rush attack on us, from both sides, was only a matter of moments. That is when the wind picked up. Resulting in our suddenly being sand-blasted!"

"I closed my eyes and shielded them with my arms. So, I did not see what happened next. I only _felt_ it. I felt myself being lifted into the air, once more! And, when I opened my eyes, again, and looked about?"

"I found myself with a giant taloned bird's foot wrapped around me. The left foot, at that. For, when I looked to my right, I saw Keith Ulu and Dr McGee desperately clinging to another such foot."

"The miraculously gigantized kea, Ephraim, had once again come to our rescue!"

"Alas! Between the physical and mental strain of what I had just been through, and the literally breath-taking speed at which Ephraim was flying, it was too much for me."

"I blacked out."

* * * * *

"5 May 1923:

I have awakened, at last. And, it turns out that I have done so in the American naval hospital at Midway!"

"Nor am I alone. Dr. McGee is here, also. Yet, when I asked him about Keith Ulu and Ephraim, his face bore a most quizzical expression."

" 'Don't you remember, Gustave? He died on the ship! From ciguatera poisoning.' "

" 'Ciguatera?!' I echoed, in disbelief."

"He then 'reminded' me how, on our very first day at Kapu Hiva, shoals of barracuda had scared a large number of flying squid on to the ship's port bow. And, how Herr Martelli had persuaded Captain Murgatroyd to have Keith Ulu harvest it for a calamari supper!"

" 'Poor Ephraim wolfed down almost as much of it as poor Jack! Those two took sick, first. Then, so did most of the rest of us...to varying degrees. That's why we proved such easy pickings for Von Hauptmann's pirates. They dragged every able-bodied hand ashore, and forced us to continue trying to salvage that Chinese bill-hooked battleaxe from Admiral Zheng's treasure ship.' "

" 'With all due respect, Herr Doktor, that is not the way I remember it,' I replied."

" 'Small wonder. Ciguatera poisoning can have hallucinatory side-effects on those who survive it. But, that doesn't change the fact that Von Hauptmann would have killed us, anyway, as soon as we'd outlived our usefulness. And, that the two of us are alive only because those kraut pirates (no offense!) found out the hard way that we weren't the only ones on that island.' "

"I nodded, thinking he meant those horse-headed frog-men. Yet, I was swiftly proven wrong."

" 'The Navy Department is going to warn all American shipping to permanently by-pass that part of the International Dateline,' he continued: 'The Red Cross and the League of Nations are going to do the same thing with regard to the merchant marine fleets of other countries. They don't want anyone else running into those in-bred leper colonists, ever again!' "

tbc

* * * * *

"2 Jan. 1930:

The New Year has been kind to me. Last night, I was re-united with Klaus Kraus; my former under-graduate roommate at Leipzig! He is a professor of biochemistry, now. With cross-training in pharmacological botany. And, after several hours of beer-fueled reminiscing, he revealed to me that, while conducting blood analyses for the International Committee of the Red Cross, in Geneva, he came across an interesting file."

" 'It was the one pertaining to your little...misadventure...at Kapu Hiva.' "

"I was initially reluctant to recount my side of things, as it has taken me almost seven years to convince myself that I was hallucinating, at the time. But, I relented after he took me back to his house, and showed me something astounding in the laboratory he has made for himself, in his proportionately modified basement."

"First, he filled an hypodermic needle with a clear solution of some kind. Then, he grabbed one of the white mice he privately breeds for his own experiments...and injected it with the solution."

"In the space of ninety seconds, it had grown to the size of a rat!"

" 'Gott in Himmel!' I exclaimed: 'How...?' "

" 'Distilled water containing microscopic spores,' he replied: 'Spores I extracted from several mushrooms I found at the base of a first-generation regrowth conifer near Lake Cheko. In the Tunguska region of Siberia!' "

"Whereupon, he told me how he had been part of a scientific expedition to that region, six months earlier. The aim of this expedition, funded by the Thule Society, was to see how plant and animal life of the region had recovered (if at all), in the twenty years since the infamous meteorite impact."

" 'Our resident zoologist, Bernhard Heuvelmann, was astonished by the above-average size of the local reindeer. They were, at least, twice the size of the closely-related American caribou. In fact, they were closer in size to the extinct Irish elk! And, obviously, I soon discovered why.' "

"So, we went upstairs to his living room, where I recounted my version of the events at Kapu Hiva. Fortified by several shots of Schnops!"

"When I had finished, he said to me: 'It is my hypothesis that something was left behind by the Tunguska meteorite. Something that has long since entered the ground water that the regrowth trees have soaked up. And, which has been absorbed by mycorhizzal fungi, in turn.' "

" 'It is therefore possible,' he added: '...that you did not hallucinate seeing a giantess at Kapu Hiva. That she might actually _be_ a proto-Polynesian who partook of some genetically mutated mushrooms. And, became mutated herself. Perhaps, even to the point of gaining equally heightened mental powers (including extra-sensory hypnotic suggestion)! It is also possible that the male and female giants of our _own_ country's folklore were not figments of bardic imagination, either.' "

"As a result of this fateful reunion, I am going to apply for membership in the Thule Society, myself. First thing tomorrow."

* * * * *

"31 Jan. 1930:

My application has finally been approved."

* * * * *

"1 May 1931:

I did it! I finally have proof the Varangiants truly existed. The personal journal of Ilya Muromets; yeoman turcopole of the Teutonic Knight, Holgar Gudfredsen. Now, the board of governors will _have_ to believe me, and grant me further funding."

* * * * *

"2 May 1931:

Verdammt dumpkopfen!"

tbc

* * * * *

Bryce Paxton, confused by the reference to "Varangiants," rewound the microfilm to the diary entries he had passed by, earlier. He had gotten so bored reading about the 1923 expedition to Kapu Hiva, that he had fast-forwarded the reel to preserve his sanity! Only to ironically prove to himself that the old adage, about haste making waste, was indeed true.

* * * * *

"1 June 1923:

We have debarked at the Mare Island Naval Base, in San Francisco, California. There, I was introduced to Dr. McGee's brother, Special Agent Canute McGee of the FBI."

"The latter explained to me how he had been part of an American government task force, for the past year, investigating the systematic theft of tommy-guns from the Federal arsenal at Rock Island, Illinois. How the trail had led to New Orleans, Louisiana, where they were apparently bartered for Jamaican rum. And, how 'Joseph Svensen' had evidently used his salvage business as a front for smuggling the weapons out of the country, to a nocturnal rendezvous with Captain Von Hauptmann in the waters of the Dutch Antilles."

"Unfortunately, they did not know about 'Svensen' being an ex-German spy until they were notified of same by British Naval Intelligence! By which time, the DEWITT CLINTON had already been out-bound, from Philadelphia, for a week. So, the best thing that could be done, after that, was to radio-telegraph the American naval base at Midway, and have a destroyer begin searching for us, in order to intercept us. As Professor Phillips had misled the Philadelphia harbormaster, however, the search was initially conducted along the wrong route!"

"It was only by crossing and re-crossing the supposed route that the destroyer happened upon the Mathis motor launch bearing myself and Dr. McGee. The two of us unconscious from sunstroke, hunger, and thirst; and the launch entirely bereft of fuel."

* * * * *

"16 Sept. 1930:

My new membership in the Thule Society is already paying off. Kraus has used his status, with the ICRC, to show me other interesting 'medical records.' This one filed by the chief medical officer of a Kaiserliche Marine flagship in the western North Pacific, thirty years ago!"

"It would seem there was a dispute over the sovereignty of a large atoll called Canterbury Island. Imperial Germany claimed it to be part of the Marshall Islands (which had recently been sold to them by Spain). While the United States and Great Britain claimed joint custody of it due to eight decades' usage of it as a whaling station. When the Kaiser's spies learned that the island was going to be colonized, by expatriate American Mormons, a naval blockade was immediately instituted around the island."

"The CMO says the blockade was ultimately decimated by a blonde-haired, blue-eyed giantess (impervious to cannon fire)!"

"The Kaiser's spies later learned that she was the half-Danish daughter of the Mormon leader. And, that her mother claimed to be descended from Skogul. Daughter of Svyatogor, last of the Varangiants, by Kara Halfdansdottir(a Valkyrie incarnate). This claim was, of course, dismissed as complete fabrication, at that time."

"But, given what I have learned as a member of the Thule Society, I am beginning to wonder."

* * * * *

"30 Apr. 1933:

Ist fantastiche!"

"With Kraus' help, I have conveyed to Herr Himmler my theory about the power of self-gigantism in ancient Germanic peoples; the probable source of that power; and the possible reason for its shift from patrilineal to matrilineal heredity. He has agreed to grant me all the funding I need to prove it!"

* * * * *

"1 Jan. 1943:

I received a radiogram from Kraus, in Argentina, today. He not only wished me Happy New Year. He has also notified me that the human experimentation phase of Ordung: Utgard...has been approved. Vunderbar!"

* * * * *

That last entry made Paxton more uneasy than ever before. Because, not five minutes earlier, Dr. Long had finished his polygraphic examination of "Pierre LeGrand." The former had asked him whether or not it was true that he knew how Solution 62 had first been created. And, the latter had replied:

"False. But, I do know when it was created, and why. In the aftermath of--and, initially, as a direct response to--Operation: Utgard."

THE END