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First published in the United States of America by Thomas Dunne Books, an imprint of St Martin’s Press 2007
First published in Great Britain by Michael Joseph 2013
Published in Penguin Books 2013
Copyright © David Lynn Golemon
The moral right of the author has been asserted
This is a work of fiction. All the characters, organizations and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously
All rights reserved
Cover image © plainpicture/bellabellinksy
Cover design: www.patrickknowlesdesign.com
Typeset by Jouve (UK), Milton Keynes
ISBN: 978-1-405-91196-2
PROLOGUE: Francisco Pizarro
Part One: THE FOLLOWERS
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Part Two: THE DIVINE WIND
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Part Three: THE SEARCHERS
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Part Four: BLACK WATERS
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Part Five: THE LOST WORLD
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Part Six: PADILLA’S HELL
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Part Seven: SPECIES OF GOD
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Epilogue
Acknowledgments
Follow Penguin
By the same author
Event
Ancients
Leviathan
Primeval
For my family –
Steve, Scott, and Ric.
The few become fewer.
For my aunts and mother, the four sisters of the Apocalypse, living large at the time of the Depression and conquering at the time of war. The world has become a lesser place in your absence.
For Katie Anne, Brandon Lynn, Shaune David, and Cindy Michelle – my children.
I would like to take time out to thank my editor, Pete Wolverton; without Pete and his guidance, all would be lost. Also to Katie at Thomas Dunne, forever answering the mundane questions of the unenlightened.
Finally, to the United States Navy, consistently setting the standard among the American armed forces for professionalism and foresight. To the blue-ocean and brown-water navy, without whose cooperation this book would not have been possible.
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 expedition