by Barry Sadler
The night was warm, but the sails were filled, and the bows of the dragon ships cut through the phosphorescent water. In the leading ship, Casca, forward, looked across the dark waters.
Home ... he thought. Where is home for me? Everyone else has a place to which he belongs. I do not....
Beyond the silver phosphorescence of the bow wave the sea waters were black ... like death...
Would that I could lose myself in you.... Would that the wetness might cover me forever. surely everything must end in time ... and my time cannot be much longer....
Moving his hand against the smooth railing, he muttered aloud:
"When will it end?"
A shiver ran over him as the Jew's voice came, unbidden:
"Till we meet again ..."
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
"Sir ... sir!" The voice was insistent. It was as if the lights had been turned on. Goldman turned to the voice. He saw Johnson, the museum guard, standing there with a confused look on his face.
"Are you all right, sir?" Johnson asked. "You've been standing there for hours. Your friend said that you weren't to be disturbed, that you were studying the article. But it's closing time now, and we have to shut up until tomorrow. You can come back then if you haven't finished examining the mask."
Goldman's mouth was dry. Closing time. That meant he had been here seven hours. "Yes. Thank you." He read the guard's metal name plate. "Thank you, Mr. Johnson. Yes: I'm quite all right, thank you. May I have just one more moment, please – alone? Then I'll leave."
Johnson nodded. "All right. But five minutes more is all I can let you have." Leaving Goldman, he shook his head. What the hell could be so interesting about an old jade mask from Mexico?
These brain types. I'll never figure them out. How can they stand in one spot for hours looking at something that doesn't move or talk? Just sits there. Well, that's their business....
Not waiting until the guard had left, Goldman had turned back to the mask. Where had Casca gone this time? Would he return? Somehow, Casca, I think we will meet again. I don't believe you've yet finished what you started.
He gave one last look at the jade mask. It seemed to mock him. The thin hairline scar running from the corner of the left eye to the mouth gave the immobile jade the same slightly sardonic look as Casca ... as if it knew a secret ... some as yet untold joke.
Goldman straightened, twisting his head to ease the stiffness in his neck.
He left the museum, the closing doors separating him from another world.
As Goldman was leaving, another man was standing in a line waiting to get airline tickets that would take him from Boston to Johannesburg and from there to Salisbury in Rhodesia. As he stood, patiently, he checked his papers, including the Spanish passport identifying him as Carlos Romano, of Sevilla. Everything was in order. He nodded wearily. Several people in the line tried to put some distance between themselves and the man with the scarred face, but he didn't notice.
Continuing Casca’s adventures, book 3 The Warlord
Blood pouring from his wounds, the man on the cross looked down upon the Roman who had driven the spear into his side. His eyes blazing, his voice great with an unknown power, he pronounced his terrible judgement: Soldier, you are content with what you are. As you are, so shall you remain until we meet again.
And so began the curse which would condemn Casca to fight in the world’s bloodiest wars throughout all eternity. It was a curse which would follow him even to the shores of Ancient Britain and the plains of far Cathay, where he would be raised to the position of War Lord and be buried alive at the whim of a frustrated concubine of the Emperor.
For more information on the entire Casca series see www.casca.net
The Barry Sadler website www.barrysadler.com
THE CASCA SERIES IN EBOOKS
By Barry Sadler
Casca 1: The Eternal Mercenary
Casca 2: God of Death
Casca 3: The Warlord
Casca 4: Panzer Soldier
Casca 5: The Barbarian
Casca 6: The Persian
Casca 7: The Damned
Casca 8: Soldier of Fortune
Casca 9: The Sentinel
Casca 10: The Conquistador
Casca 11: The Legionnaire
Casca 12: The African Mercenary
Casca 13: The Assassin
Casca 14: The Phoenix
Casca 15: The Pirate
Casca 16: Desert Mercenary
Casca 17: The Warrior
Casca 18: The Cursed
Casca 19: The Samurai
Casca 20: Soldier of Gideon
Casca 21: The Trench Soldier
Casca 22: The Mongol
By Tony Roberts
Casca 25: Halls of Montezuma
Casca 26: Johnny Reb
Casca 27: The Confederate
Casca 28: The Avenger
Casca 30: Napoleon’s Soldier
Casca 31: The Conqueror
Casca 32: The Anzac
Casca 34: Devil’s Horseman
Casca 35: Sword of the Brotherhood
Casca 36: The Minuteman
Casca 37: Roman Mercenary
Casca 38: The Continental
Casca 39: The Crusader
Casca 40: Blitzkrieg
Casca 41: The Longbowman