Goddess of the Golden Flame by William P. McGivern

Book Details

Deep in the Himalayas was a cavern, and in the cavern was the Goddess of the Golden Flame.

World War II was officially over, though perhaps not for everyone. Airplanes were disappearing when flying over the Himalayas. Major Rick Mason of the U.S. Army Aircorps was sent on a mission deep within the Himalayas to find out the cause. Here he was to find a hidden secret — and a Goddess!

Goddess of the Golden Flame, a novella in eight chapters, was originally published in 1947.

Goddess of the Golden Flame has 2 illustrations.

William Peter McGivern (1918-1982) was an American novelist and television scriptwriter. He published more than 20 novels, mostly mysteries and crime thrillers. While mostly known as a crime novelist, McGivern also wrote a large number of science fiction stories for magazines like Amazing Stories and Fantastic Adventures during the 1940s and 1950s.

McGivern moved to Los Angeles in the early 1960s to write for television and film. His credits include the TV series Ben Casey, Adam-12, and Kojak. In 1980 he was elected President of the Mystery Writers of America.

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1. GoddessGoldenFlame.epub

Excerpt: Goddess of the Golden Flame

Chapter I

AP August 19th. The four-engined passenger ship Twilight crashed early yesterday in an inaccessible region of the Himalayas. The plane, flagship of the Air France fleet, was carrying fourteen passengers from Paris to Shanghai. . . .

• • •

AP August 30th. Wreckage of a Swedish cargo plane, four days overdue, was discovered today in the southeastern section of the Vulka range of the Himalayas. Aerial photographs of the wreckage indicate the crew perished in the crash. . . .

• • •

UP September 14th. The War Department announced today that an ATC four-engined cargo ship had reported trouble on the Hump run last night. The plane was flying supplies from Delhi to Calcutta with a crew of four. The radio operator flashed an emergency signal at 9.33 EST, but gave no information as to the nature of the trouble. . . . (ADD NU Sept. 14th.) A late bulletin from the War Department this morning: Cargo ship Y-2S, reported last night in distress, is believed to have crashed. . . .”

* * *

Major Rick Mason received orders on Sept. 17th to report immediately to General Armstrong of G2. He thanked the orderly who brought him the message, then lit a cigarette and sat down on the edge of his bed. He was tall, with graying black hair and deceptively mild gray eyes. His face was lined and hard, deeply fanned and generally devoid of expression.

After reading the orders a second time he got to his feet and slipped on his Ike jacket, picked up his cap and left the room. . . .

General Armstrong’s office was on the ninth floor of the Pentagon. The General’s orderly, a regular army master sergeant, told Rick to go right in.

Rick opened the door and walked into a broad, surgically clean office, furnished with the lean spare efficiency of the professional soldier. Sun from three wide windows made a dappled design on a plain gray carpet; there were eight straight backed chairs arranged uniformly on the right of the room facing a large aerial map of Southeast Asia.

Behind a desk on the opposite side of the room sat General Armstrong, a man of medium height with thinning hair and icy blue eyes. He wore the two silver stars of Major General rank on each shoulder; on his left breast was one lone ribbon, the Distinguished Service Cross.

RICK saluted. “Major Rick Mason reporting as directed, sir.”

General Armstrong returned the salute. “At ease. Major.” His voice was dry and precise. “Two more officers will arrive shortly. I will tell you then why I instructed you to report here.”

“Very well, sir.”

General Armstrong looked at a file of papers on his desk, then glanced at Rick. “I’ve made a study of your service record, Major. You enlisted in the Canadian Air Force in nineteen thirty-eight. Any reason for that preference?”

“I thought they might get in before we did, sir.”

“Prior to that you were with the Abraham Lincoln Brigade in Spain. You were wounded twice.”

“Nothing very serious, sir.”

“You transferred from the CRAF to the Army Air Corps in forty-one in England. Spent the next four years flying escort for various Heavy Bomb Groups. Received the DFC with two clusters, the Air Medal with fifteen clusters, the Purple Heart. Good record, Mason.”

“Thank you, sir.”

“Are you married. Major?”

“No, sir.”

“Any particular reason why not?”

“One fight at a time has always been my motto, sir.”

General Armstrong nodded. He looked as if he might smile but he didn’t. “That’s all for that. Major. Sit down until the other officers arrive.”

“Yes, sir.”

“He took a seat in a straight backed chair and held his cap in his lap. General Armstrong returned to the papers on his desk.

A few minutes later the door opened and a first Lieutenant entered. He was young, about twenty four, Rick guessed, with a clear complexion, blond hair and earnest blue eyes.

He saluted General Armstrong and said: “Lieutenant Peter Rundell reporting as directed, sir.”

“At ease, Lieutenant. This is Major Rick Mason.”

Rick stood up, shook hands with the young lieutenant.

General Armstrong said, “The third officer will be along presently.” He studied again the papers on his desk.

Rick raised an eyebrow and shrugged. The lieutenant grinned faintly and they both sat down. The General glanced at them after a while. “You may talk and smoke if you like.”

Rick took out a pack of cigarettes, offered one to the lieutenant who refused; he lit his own and inhaled deeply-

“Hot, isn’t it?”

“Very hot,” the lieutenant said.

“It’ll probably get worse.”

“Probably.”

That, Rick decided, took care of the talking. He wondered idly what General Armstrong had on his mind; but he wasn’t too curious. Years of experience with army authority had made a fatalist of him. He did what he was told. He expected the same implicit obedience from any man under him.”

Excerpt From: William P. McGivern. “Goddess of the Golden Flame.”