Preface

I have had the pleasure, the horror, and the honor of living during the greatest and most horrible times of this century. In the past seventy six years I have met with scholars and scoundrels, villains and leaders, and some of the great minds of our time. Yet none had ever impressed upon me as being so remarkable as Julian Augustus Baird. He was a professor of Antiquity and Anthropology, and an adventurer, often preferring fieldwork to lecturing. He was a scientist, historian, linguist, diplomat, and warrior – a true Renaissance man who believed in the ingenuity of mankind. Most of his greatest work was done from Europe to the Far East, though tragically very few archives of his expeditions survive to this day; many having been virtually destroyed during the devastation of Europe in the Second World War. What does remain are minute traces of his existence – A record here, a forgotten paper there, or most notably a few stories written by one Andrew Winston. Those stories were regarded as the pulp fiction of the time and regrettably were virtually forgotten almost as soon as they were circulated. They reside now only on the shelves of those collectors familiar with Winston’s later work in the pulps as small and early part of a greater list of stories written by the author.

The tales which follow remain the only true recollection of Julian Baird during the short time in which I knew him. I am, in my old age, the only remaining record of this man’s extraordinary life, and I feel that it was my duty and obligation to put my memories of my friend into words before my own passing. This is also an autobiography of sorts, my own ‘coming of age’ story, since it was through my adventures with Professor Baird that I became a man. His influence affected me much greater than that of my own Father.

I hope that you, the reader, can remember to keep in mind that this is no work of fiction. Everything that is recalled here is pure and factual. Nothing is embellished, no detail exaggerated, no words of dialogue inflated, added, or deleted. Even though I did and still do idolize my friend, I must tell his history as accurately as my mind can recall the events – anything less would be a lie and against his character. He was a great man; but he was a great man with many faults and vices. The additions of these truths are what made him human.

I cannot say much more without revealing the context of the following stories. I only hope that you enjoy them and that, at the end, you have found a place for Julian Baird in your heart. It is only in this way that his legacy will live on forever.

-D. A. Rossi