Valhalla Rising (Dirk Pitt 16)

"What you did was nothing short of miraculous." Then McFerrin turned and placed his bandaged hands on Pitt's shoulders. "Dirk, it has been a privilege. Your name will always be spoken with honor in the McFerrin home. I sincerely hope we meet again."

"We must," said Pitt jovially. "I owe you a bottle of scotch." "Good-bye, ladies and gentlemen of NUMA. God bless you all." "Good-bye, Charles. They don't come better than you." McFerrin climbed down into the Earl of Wattksfield's boat and gave a final salute as it swung away. "Now what?" Pitt asked Burch.

"First, we pick up the submersibles or Admiral Sandecker will behead us on the steps of the Capitol Building," he said, referring to the chief director of NUMA. "Then we set a course for Wellington, the nearest port with a shipyard and the dry-dock facilities to repair our damage."

"It's no great loss if we can't find the Ancient Mariner-she's an old workhorse that has more than paid for herself-but the Abyss Navigator is state-of-the-art, fresh from the factory and cost twelve million dollars. We can't afford to lose her."

"We'll find her. Her beacon signal is coming in loud and strong." He almost had to shout to be heard above the sounds coming from the sky. The air above the ships swarmed with aircraft flown from New Zealand, Tonga, Fiji and Samoa, most of them chartered by the international news media, covering what would become known as the most magnificent rescue operation in the history of the seas. The radios on all three ships were inundated with messages from governments, anxious relatives of the survivors, corporate officials of the Blue Seas Cruise Lines, and representatives of the underwriters who had insured the Emerald Dolphin. The radio traffic was so heavy that all communication among the three rescue ships was conducted by handheld portable radios or blinkers.

Burch sighed as he relaxed in his elevated captain's chair and lit his pipe, then smiled faintly. "Do you think the admiral will turn the air blue when he hears what we did to his research ship?"

"Under the circumstances, the old sea dog will milk the publicity to the last drop."

"Have you thought of how you're going to explain that body lying below to the officials?" asked Burch.

"I can only tell what I know."

"Pity the girl can't act as a witness."

"I can't believe I missed her during the evacuation."

"Actually, your problem has been solved," Burch said, with a devious grin.

Pitt looked at the captain for a long moment. "Solved?"

"I like to run a tight, clean ship," explained Burch. "I personally threw your friend over the side. He's joined the other poor souls from the Emerald Dolphin who died during the tragedy. As far as I'm concerned, the matter is closed."

"Skipper," Pitt said, with a twinkle in his eye, "you're okay. I don't care what they say about you."

The harried radio operator came from the radio room. "Sir, a message from Captain Harlow of the Australian missile frigate. If you wish to leave station, he will stand by to pick up bodies and stay with the cruise liner until tugs arrive to tow her to port."

"Acknowledge and express my deepest gratitude to the captain and his crew for their gallant assistance."

A minute later, the operator returned. "Captain Harlow wishes you Godspeed and calm seas."

"I imagine it has to be the first time in history a guided-missile frigate took on five hundred civilian passengers," said Pitt.

"Yes," said Burch slowly, as he turned and gazed at the burned-out leviathan. The downpour of rain had done little to alleviate the fire. Flames still flickered and smoke spiraled into the sky. Except for a small space around the bow, the entire ship was blackened and scorched. The steel plates were buckled and her superstructure was little more than a labyrinth of charred, twisted and contorted frameworks. Nothing organic was left. Everything that could burn had been reduced to ugly piles of ashes. It had been a ship that its architects and builders swore could never burn. Fire-retardant materials had been used throughout. But they'd never counted on the dynamic heat that had fanned itself into a firestorm that could melt metal.

"Another one of the great mysteries of the sea," Pitt said, his voice distant.

"Ship fires occur with alarming frequency around the world every year." Burch spoke as if he were lecturing to a class. "But I've never heard of one more baffling than the blaze on board the Emerald Dolphin. No fire on a ship that large should have spread so fast."

"Second Officer McFerrin suggested that it spread out of control because the fire-warning and control systems were inoperative."

"An act of treachery, do you think?"

Pitt nodded at the smoldering, gutted hulk. "It defies logic that it was a series of unfortunate circumstances."

"Captain," the radio operator interrupted again, "Captain Nevins of the Earl of Wattlesfield would like a word with you."

"Put him on the speaker."

"Go ahead, sir."

"Captain Burch here."

"Captain Nevins here. I say, if you chaps are going to try for Wellington, I'll be most happy to shepherd you along the way, since that's the closest major port to disembark the survivors."