White Death (NUMA Files 4)

"You're welcome. Maybe we can continue this conversation when we get back to Washington."

"I can think of any number of hotel lobbies that would be conducive to an accidental rendezvous. We can pledge not to talk business."

"Let's begin now." Austin signaled the waiter and ordered two Peter Heering cherry liqueurs.

"What would you like to talk about, then?" Therri said. "Tell me about SOS."

"That could be construed as business."

"Okay, I'll ask you a personal question. How did you come to be involved with the Sentinels?"

"Fate," she said with a smile. "Before I became a whale-hugger, I was a tree-hugger. My future was ordained from the moment of birth. My folks named me Thoreau after Henry David."

"I wondered where the Therri came from."

"I suppose I was lucky they didn't name me Henry. My father was an environmental activist before there was such a thing. My mother was from an old Yankee family that got rich on slaves and rum. When I graduated from Harvard Law School, it was expected that

I go into the family guilt business. My turn now. How did you get Into NUMA?"

Austin gave Therri the Cliffs Notes version of his career.

"There's an unaccountable gap in time in your life history," she said.

"You're much too alert. I worked for the CIA during that period.

My division was disbanded after the Cold War ended. Can't tell you more than that."

"That's all right," she said. "An air of mystery adds to your at- tractiveness."

Austin felt like an outfielder about to catch an easy pop fly. Therri had moved the conversation to a slightly more intimate level, and he was about to respond in kind when he noticed her looking over his shoulder. He turned and saw Marcus Ryan making his way toward their table.

"Therri!" Ryan said, with his matinee-idol smile. "What a nice surprise."

"Hello, Marcus. You remember Kurt Austin from the hearing in Torshavn."

"Of course! Mr. Austin gave the only unbiased testimony during that whole fiasco."

"Why don't you join us?" Therri said. "You don't mind, do you, Kurt?"

Austin minded very much. The encounter smelled strongly of a staged meeting, but he was curious about the reason for the setup. He motioned to a chair and shook hands with Ryan. The grip was sur- prisingly firm.

"Only for a minute," Ryan said. "I don't want to intrude on your dinner, but I'm glad for the opportunity to thank Mr. Austin for helping SOS."

"Your appreciation is misdirected. I didn't do it to help SOS. It was a personal favor for Miss Weld. She's the one who persuaded me to take a close look at your boat."

"I don't know of many people who can resist her persuasiveness, and she deserves a lot of credit. Nevertheless, you did a great service for the creatures of the sea."

"Spare me the hearts and flowers, Mr. Ryan. I gave Therri the ev- idence of sabotage because it was the right thing to do, not because I believe in your cause."

"Then you know I had no responsibility for that collision." "I know that you purposely ratcheted up the tension, hoping some- thing would happen so you could get it on the TV cameras."

"Desperate times call for desperate measures. From what I know about NUMA, your organization isn't above using unorthodox methods to achieve its goals."

"There's a big difference. Every one of us, right up to Admiral Sandecker, is ready to bear responsibility for our actions. We don't take refuge behind posters of puppy-faced little harp seals."

Ryan's face turned the color of a cooked beet. "I've always been willing to take the consequences for my actions."

"Sure, as long as you knew there was a way out."