The Manila galleon was the annual treasure ship sailing between Acapulco and Manila for 250 years. THE MANILA GALLEON is dovetailing adventures: one set in 1704, the other today. Protagonists in each--one a privateer from the frontier town of New York, the other an adventurer from modern Manhattan--try to claim the prize. Each tries to understand the purpose of a mysterious statue aboard. In the past, it is possessed by a Jesuit with earth-shaking ambitions. The stakes are equally high on the modern side--a fortune in treasure. If al-Queda linked Asian terrorists seize it, the Religious World War will explode to unimaginable levels. Past and present coverge in a multi-layered climax, restoring a legend to his rightful place in history. A MAJOR WRITER OF THE SOUTHEAST ASIAN SCENE--Bangkok POST. JASON SCHOONOVER IS AMONG A SMALL HANDFUL OF AUTHORS WHO INSPIRED ME TO BECOME A WRITER--Jack DuBrul, bestselling author of PANDORA'S CURSE and DEEP FIRE RISING. Website: jasonschoonover.co