He slipped into the crowded radio shack and took the microphone from Bucky Sanders. “What’s the name, Bucky?”
“Phantom Lode, Chief.”
He depressed the mike button, “Phantom Lode, this is the master of Orion.”
“Dr. Brande, Penny Glenn. I don’t know if you know who I am?”
“I believe so, Dr. Glenn. With AquaGeo.”
“I’m flattered that you make the connection. Certainly, I know who you are, and when I recognized the Orion, I thought it might be an opportune time to meet you. If you can spare twenty minutes from your voyage, of course.”
Brande turned to Connie Alvarez-Sorenson, standing in the hatchway to the radio shack. Behind her, others curious about the mid-ocean meeting were gathering.
“Let’s bring her to dead slow, Connie.”
“Right away, Dane.”
He went back to the radio. “Twenty minutes, we’ve got.”
“I’ll invite you aboard the Lode, but naturally I’m curious about the Orion.”
“By all means, come aboard, Dr. Glenn.”
Brande handed the microphone back to Sanders just as Thomas arrived.
“What’s going on?” she asked.
“A meeting of professionals,” he told her, relating what he knew of Glenn’s background.
“AquaGeo, huh?”
“Doesn’t make her any less qualified, Rae. We owe the courtesy.”
When the Orion was almost stopped, barely making headway, the smaller cruiser came alongside, and Del Rogers put the landing stage over the side with the starboard crane.
Glenn made the jump from the stern deck of her boat to the stage with practiced agility, and then climbed the steps to deck level. Brande and a half-a-dozen others, all dressed in MVU’s customary jumpsuits and windbreakers, were waiting for her on the side deck.
Despite the bulky pale green jacket she was wearing, Brande could see that she was a knockout. Lots of strawberry blonde hair framed an angelic face that Brande felt for some reason could be deceiving. As she reached the deck, her eyes bored into his own, but gently, searching for his soul.
“Before we get hung up on academia,” she said, “I go by Penny.”
“And I’m Dane.” Brande introduced Thomas, Dokey, Otsuka, Polodka, and Emry.
The group chatted with her for a few minutes on the side deck, and then began to disperse.
“Would you like the quick tour?” Thomas asked.
“I’d love it!”
Brande waved toward the stern, then stepped back to let Glenn pass in front of him. Instead, she linked her arm over his forearm, quite naturally.
Thomas led the way to the stern, and they followed as a couple. Brande was half-surprised and half-amused. He suspected that Thomas was neither.
When they reached the bow of Sarscan, Brande disengaged himself and found the switch for the deck lights. Glenn walked around the sonar vehicle, and then exclaiming and asking questions, skirted DepthFinder.
Under the floodlights, Brande could see that Thomas’s lips were set in a very stern line. When she was piqued, she reminded him of her admiral father.
They toured the laboratory next, which Glenn seemed to find impressive. Thomas explained some of the computer systems to her as well as the chemical and geologic testing that was possible with the equipment massed along the port side of the lab. Brande thought that Thomas’s voice carried the slightly pedantic tone she assumed when she was addressing a seminar of graduate students.
If Glenn noticed that she was being a bit patronized, she didn’t indicate as much.
The bridge and communications spaces were next, and Brande explained some of their navigational and communications capabilities. Glenn appeared to appreciate the toys that Brande had installed over the years.
He told her, “We don’t keep liquor aboard, but I could offer you a cup of passable coffee.”
“That would be wonderful,” Glenn said.
“If you’ll excuse me,” Thomas said, “I’ll take care of some chores.”
“Certainly, Kaylene. I appreciate your time, and I’ve enjoyed meeting you.”
Thomas spun around and left the bridge, headed for their stateroom.
Brande took his guest down to the wardroom, where a few people were still lazing around. A videotape of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid was playing on the big monitor in one corner.
Brande filled mugs in the galley, and they sat in the booth behind Emry’s substitute office. Glenn slipped her jacket off, revealing some nice curves under a burgundy sweater.
“I’m very impressed with your operation, Dane.”
Brande was kind of impressed with Penny Glenn, also. He couldn’t get over how intently her eyes stayed with his own when she was listening to him.
“You’ve been with AquaGeo for quite a while?”
“My first, and my only, job,” she said. “Sometimes, though, I think I’d like quit it and go into purely scientific exploration. I envy you that.”
“It has its moments,” Brande said.
“Where are you off to, now?”
“A government project,” he said vaguely, without knowing why. “We’re under contract.”
She nodded and didn’t pursue it. “I’m always hunting for minerals, of course. But I think that Marine Visions has a mining operation?”
“We do, though it’s not an extensive or very profitable venture. It’s more of a field laboratory on the seabed, where we’re developing new machines and new techniques. The objective is to develop processes and equipment that extract ore without causing undue damage to the undersea environment.”
“Hmmm. I’d be interested in that.”
“The next time you’re in the States, and I’m there, give me a call. I’ll take you out.”
“I hope that’s a promise.”
“It is,” he said.
“In fact, I’m on my way to San Francisco now.”
“You’ve crossed the Pacific in Phantom Lode?”
“Oh, my, no. She was in Hawaii.”
“And you’re going to San Francisco for the fun of it?”
“Exactly!” she laughed. “I take my vacations seriously.”
Brande sipped from his mug, and he couldn’t help taking a surreptitious glance at his watch.
Glenn caught him. “Ah. I’m overstaying my welcome.”
“Of course not.”
“I know you’re on government time.” She stood up, pulling her coat on.
Brande thought that the gentlemanly thing to do would be to help her with the coat, but he was too slow getting out of the booth.
Once again, she gripped his arm as he escorted her back to the side deck and the landing stage. Del Rogers was waiting, standing near his crane.
At the head of the gangway, Glenn said, “I apologize profusely for delaying you, but I’m quite happy to have finally met you.”
“The pleasure’s all mine.”
“And I will call you in San Diego someday.”
“Please do.”
She waved at her boat, which was standing off the starboard side of Orion, and the cruiser began to move in as she went down the steps to the landing stage. She was very agile, Brande thought.
Her transfer to the Phantom Lode in the surging seas was acrobatic and successful. She waved again as she disappeared into the cabin.
Brande waved back.
And noticed that the yacht was beautifully built, a Cheoy Lee. For some reason, he suspected that Penny Glenn had had a hand in the design.
When he got back to his stateroom, he found it dark and found that Thomas was already asleep.
He was pretty sure she was asleep.
CHAPTER EIGHT