Vulcan's Forge

Table of Contents

 

“An exciting, well-honed thriller that will have Clive Cussler fans taking note of the new kid on the block.”

—William Heffernan, author of
The Dinosaur Club

 

“High-tempo action. . . . The reader is constantly intrigued . . . an action-packed and intriguing thriller.”

—The Mystery Review

 

“The writing here is good, the pace very fast, the characters believable . . . a welcome addition to the ranks of thriller writers.”

—
Sullivan County Democrat
(NY)

 

“A fast-paced story well told.”

—
Cape Coral Daily Breeze

 

“A pleasure . . . a densely detailed and well-paced thinking man’s melodrama.”

—
Kirkus Reviews

“Jack Du Brul has to be the finest adventure writer on the scene today. Romance, violence, technology are superbly blended by a master storyteller. Du Brul creates a fast-moving odyssey that is second to none.”

—Clive Cussler

 

“Du Brul’s well-calculated debts to Fleming, Cussler, Easterman, and Lustbader, his technological, political, and ecological research, and his natural gift for story-telling bode well.”

—
Publishers Weekly

“Nonstop, over-the-top adventure . . . [an] adrenaline-drenched tale. . . . Smart, resilient Mercer is a savvy adventure hero for the new millennium.”

—
Publishers Weekly

 

“Starts at 100 mph and then gets faster . . . intricate, intelligent, high-octane adventure.”

—
New York Times
bestselling author Lee Child

 

“Jam-packed with action . . . teeming with up-to-the-minute technology. . . . Du Brul demonstrates his knowledge of everything from geology to mechanics.”

—
Publishers Weekly

 

“A rare treat—a thriller that blends some of modern history’s most vexing enigmas with a hostile, perfectly realized setting. This is one thriller that really delivers: great characters combined with a breakneck pace and almost unbearable suspense.”

—Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child, coauthors of
Dance of Death

 

“Combining plenty of thrills and a touch of romance, Du Brul’s action-packed contemporary adventure zips along like an out-of-control locomotive. . . . A well-researched foundation of facts and details grounds the reader in this frosty setting. . . . Mercer’s love interest, Dr. Anika Klein, is his fitting counterpart and a strong heroine, and their romance adds a degree of warmth to this swift, sensational tale. Those who enjoy a good adrenaline rush will find plenty here to satisfy.”

—
Publishers Weekly

“Have you been casually looking for a new thriller writer in the tradition of Clive Cussler? Would the idea of a touch of Jack Higgins intrigue you? Do you like your reading to move quickly, have a great plot, and the good guy gets the girl? Browse no more! Jack Du Brul is here. . . .
Pandora’s Curse
hits all the buttons. Read it and run to your favorite bookstore for the others. . . . A dandy read.”

—
News & Citizen
(Morrisville, VT)

 

“[
The Medusa Stone
’s] nearly 500 pages of fast-paced prose propel Du Brul closer to the front ranks of thriller authors.”

—
Publishers Weekly

 

“With novels like
Charon’s Landing
,
Vulcan’s Forge
, and now
The Medusa Stone
, Jack Du Brul is one of the leaders of adventurous intrigue novels. The story line of his latest thriller continually ebbs and flows, but each new spurt builds the tension even further until the audience realizes that this is a one-sitting novel in spite of its size. Philip is a fabulous lead character . . . [a] brilliant fusion of Eritrea, its people and customs woven into a dramatic plot.”

—
Midwest Book Review

 

“A fun thriller.”

—
The Oklahoman

 

“An intricate tale filled with action and intrigue where the stakes are high. Mercer is an action character with a brain, a penchant for beautiful women, and the ability to think fast and inspire respect and trust. . . . A fast-paced story well told by an upcoming new talent in the spy thriller genre. Du Brul has earned an avid fan.”

—
Cape Coral Daily Breeze

BOOKS BY JACK DU BRUL

ONYX
Published by New American Library, a division of
Penguin Group (USA) Inc., 375 Hudson Street,
New York, New York 10014, USA
Penguin Group (Canada), 90 Eglinton Avenue East, Suite 700, Toronto,
Ontario M4P 2Y3, Canada (a division of Pearson Penguin Canada Inc.)
Penguin Books Ltd., 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England
Penguin Ireland, 25 St. Stephen’s Green, Dublin 2,
Ireland (a division of Penguin Books Ltd.)
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Australia (a division of Pearson Australia Group Pty. Ltd.)
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New Delhi - 110 017, India
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Auckland 1310, New Zealand (a division of Pearson New Zealand Ltd.)
Penguin Books (South Africa) (Pty.) Ltd., 24 Sturdee Avenue,
Rosebank, Johannesburg 2196, South Africa

Penguin Books Ltd., Registered Offices:
80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England

Published by Onyx, an imprint of New American Library, a division of Penguin
Group (USA) Inc. Previously published in a Forge edition.

First Onyx Printing, December 2005

Copyright © Jack Du Brul, 1998

All rights reserved

REGISTERED TRADEMARK—MARCA REGISTRADA

 

Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise), without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.

PUBLISHER’S NOTE

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party Web sites or their content.

The scanning, uploading, and distribution of this book via the Internet or via any other means without the permission of the publisher is illegal and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized electronic editions, and do not participate in or encourage electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated.

eISBN : 978-1-101-09997-1

This novel is thankfully
dedicated to those poor souls
who suffered through
the first drafts.

Because this is my first novel, it is safe to say that I owe thanks to everyone who has ever influenced me, for a little of all of them is within these pages, from family and friends to casual acquaintances who may have imparted some piece of wisdom. A few notables are Elizabeth Ash for her scientific acumen and Dick Flynn for his firsthand account of a heart attack. I wish now I’d taken the time over the years to list all the others.

Actually writing this book was pretty much a one-person affair; however I’ve learned that publishing is very definitely a group activity. For that I must thank Todd Murphy and the other Jack Du Brul for proving it’s not what you know but who you know, and Bob Diforio, my agent, for being that “who.” At Forge I especially want to thank Melissa Ann Singer, my editor. If ever there was someone who knows how to hand-hold, it is she. I also want to thank you, the reader, for giving me a chance.

 

 

Author’s Note:
For security reasons, the government forbids vehicle traffic on Pennsylvania Avenue in front of the White House. For reasons of continuity, I’ve left it open.