The Crystal Warriors by William R. Forstchen Read Free Book Online Page A

some connection?"
    "Can't think of any other theory, Captain. We got drawn into the pentagram in the temple and got thrown out here. Wherever here is," and Kochanski looked up at the moons.
    "I also found six bodies. One of them is Japanese, Captain Ikawa."
    Ikawa nodded. Teruzo had been a good man, lighthearted and devoted to his parents.
    "What about the other bodies?" Ikawa asked.
    "Never seen them before. Three men, one of them the guy we shot up. Then there's a boy and a woman."
    "Blown all to hell," Kochanski continued, "like from an artillery round. Same with the others. All cut up by shell frags..."
    "Go on, Kochanski, what are you thinking?"
    "This is like something out of the Wizard of Oz gone berserk―I mean, with that tornado thing that brought us here. It seems like we got sucked from one world to another―maybe through the force of those dead sorcerers playing around with occult-type stuff. They obviously got more than they bargained for, and the shell from the Chinese wiped them out, except for that last guy."
    "This leads us to our second alternative then, Captain Phillips," Ikawa said. "We must assume that whomever they were, they have friends."
    Mark hesitated for only a moment. "Bring your men over here, Captain Ikawa. Kochanski, bring our guys over too."
    A couple of minutes later the men were gathered into two lines facing each other.
    Ikawa turned to face his command and said something, while Mark spoke to his men.
    "Captain Ikawa and I have agreed to an armistice, a truce. Only God knows where we are. But we're going to get back sooner or later, that I promise you."
    He paused. The last statement sounded so hollow, but he had to promise something.
    "We're going to work in alliance with the Japanese. We have to, in order to survive. You saw what that one guy did to the Jap. If the people around here can do that, our only hope is to double our strength by fighting together rather than against each other. I'm ordering all of you to honor this agreement."
    He stared at them, searching out each man and holding him with his gaze. Just one hotheaded action could screw the whole deal.
    "If anybody makes so much as a move against the Japs without my direct and personal order, I'll shoot him."
    There was a snort of derision from the ranks and he thought he heard the word "traitor" mumbled. He could guess who said it.
    "Captain Ikawa!"
    "Yes?" And Ikawa came to his side.
    Mark unholstered his .45 and walked over to Giorgini.
    "Did you say something, Giorgini?"
    Giorgini smiled sarcastically. "No, Captain."
    With one sweeping movement Mark cocked the .45 and put the barrel to Giorgini's forehead.
    "Captain Ikawa."
    "Yes."
    "This bastard thinks I'm a traitor for making our alliance. Give the word and I'll blow his fucking brains all over the ground."
    Mark prayed that he had judged Ikawa correctly. He knew the Japanese were watching and hoped that through this act he could convince them, while at the same time show his own men how serious their situation was.
    "Go on, Captain Ikawa, decide."
    Giorgini was trembling, and Mark prayed that he wouldn't start to beg, for he would lose face for all of them if he did.
    Ikawa sensed it as well and acted quickly.
    Coming up to Mark's side he pushed the automatic away, and spoke to Giorgini in a loud voice so that all could hear.
    "Many of my men feel the same about me, Sergeant, but our war is gone―somewhere on the other side of that," and he waved towards the smoldering pentagram. "I want you to live to help us survive."
    He turned away from Giorgini, and walking back to his own men, explained what had transpired. There was a murmur from the Japanese ranks.
    "All right, men, get ready to move out in ten minutes," Mark ordered. "There was a hell of a lot of action here and maybe the friends of those stiffs over there will come by to check up on it. We've hung around here too long as it is."
    Mark left his men and went over to where Ikawa was standing on the crest of the