Tale Of The Thunderbolt (the Vampire Earth, Book 3)

Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html TALE OF THE THUNDERBOLT THE VAMPIRE EARTH 3 E.E. KNIGHT Possessed of an unnatural and legendary hunger, the Reapers have come to Earth to establish a New Order built on harvesting of enslaved human souls. They rule the planet. I thrive on the scent of fear. And if it is night, as sure as darkness, they will come. It's the forty-eighth year of the Kurian Order. The alien, vampiric Kur and their avatars, the Reapers, control most of Earth-their new feeding ground. Humanity is scattered and survives only at their new masters' whims. But the Resistance is attempting to reclaim Earth. David Valentine, member of the elite Cat spy force, is in enemy uniform aboard the aging gunboat Thunderbolt. Whispers have reached him of the discovery of a long-lost weapon in the Caribbean-the first glimmer of hope for humanity to finally defeat the Reapers. Control of the ship lies in the hands of a tyrannical captain, and nothing short of full-scale mutiny can win it back. With only a few loyal sailors at his side, Valentine embarks on a terrifying journey through the deadly waters of the Gulf, searching for the weapon that will guarantee that this year- the forty-eighth year of the Kurian Order's domination of Earth-will be the Kurians' last.... Glossary Aspirants: Teenagers, often sons and daughters of those in a particular caste, who travel with the Hunters and perform assorted camp functions. Bears: Hunters and the most fearsome of the Lifeweavers' human weapons; warriors who go into a battle-fury resembling that of the berserks of old. The Bears are proud to take on anything the Kurians can design. Cats: Trained by the Lifeweavers, these Hunters act as spies, saboteurs, and assassins in the Kurian Zone. Some work in disguises; others work openly. Dau'wa: "Forward-thinkers"; the minority of Lifeweavers (mostly concentrated on the planet Kur), who used vital aura to become immortal, i.e., vampires. Dau'weem: "Backwards-thinkers"; the majority of Life-weavers, who eschewed use of vital aura to Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html become immortal. Golden Ones: A Grog variant, more verbal and organized than the more common Gray Ones. Fawn-colored fur on their shoulders blends to white on their bellies. Gray Ones: The most common kind of Grog, an apish humanoid with thick plates of gray skin. Marginally intelligent, though quick to adapt to human tools and weapons. Grogs: Any of the multitude of creations the Kurians have designed or enhanced to help subjugate man. The term grog is in general use for introduced life-forms, but properly belongs just to the humanoid variants. Grogs come in many shapes and sizes; some are intelligent enough to use weapons. Hunters: Human beings who have been enhanced by the techno-magic of the Lifeweavers to cope with the spawn of Kur. Interworld Tree: An ancient network of portals between the stars, the doors of which allow instantaneous transportation across the light-years. Kur: One of the nine planets of the Interworld Tree. A great storehouse of touchstones was found here; it was a center of Lifeweaver science and learning. Later it became a renegade world when the Kurian Lifeweavers began to use vital aura to extend their lives, touching off a civil war that has spilled over to Earth. Kurians: Lifeweavers from the planet Kur who learned how to indefinitely lengthen their lives by absorbing vital aura. They are the true vampires of the New Order. lifesign: Energy give