The Lotus Eaters

S.S. Mare Superum, five miles northeast of Buenaventura, Santander, Terra Nova

"All stop. Drop anchors," ordered the ship's captain. A few hundred meters behind, the Francisco Pizarro also slowed to halt. The captain turned to Shershavin. Pointing to the glow in the distance, he said "Major, there is the town. Begin landing your men.

Shershavin saluted and left the bridge. At a gesture the men of Number 14 Company, minus its first platoon—even now awaiting the lift from La Palma, began to push rope nets and rubber boats with small muffled engines over the side of the ship away from the land. The troops lowered themselves down, hand over hand, into the rubber boats and then cast off. Small muffled engines went pfft-pfft-pfft behind them. In the lead boat Shershavin guided the rest around the ship's hull and toward the shore. As the major made the turn under the blunt bow, he turned his attention and his night vision goggles toward the Pizarro. There, too, small boats were moving to the land to join in the assault.