“The Fortuitous Meeting of Gerard van Oost and Oludara”

by Christopher Kastensmidt (Published by Realms of Fantasy)

Nominated for Best Novelette in 2010

Gerard van Oost and Oludara are destined to become two of the greatest heroes in Brazilian history, but first, this unlikely pair must meet far from their homelands, in the central plaza of Salvador, capital of the fledgling colony. In a story that weaves through sixteenth century Africa and Brazil, Oludara, a slave, and Gerard, an outcast, must each outwit a legendary foe to overcome their pasts and forge a new future together.