"I had to ask," Sandecker said heavily. "I should have known you didn't pick this museum of mechanical monstrosities just to launch a physical-fitness program."
Something in a pile of wreckage that lay in a soggy heap against the forward wall of the gymnasium caught the admiral's eyes and he walked over to it. He stood and stared grimly for several moments at the skeletal remains of what had once been a passenger or crew member of the Titanic.
"I wonder who this poor devil was?"
"We'll probably never know," Pitt said. "Any dental records from 1912 have no doubt been destroyed long ago."
Sandecker leaned down and examined the pelvic section of the bones. "Good lord, it was a woman."
"Either one of the first-class passengers who elected to remain behind or one of the women from the steerage quarters who arrived on the Boat Deck after all the lifeboats had been launched."
"Have you found any other bodies?"
"We've been too busy to do any extensive exploring," Pitt said. "But one of Spencer's men reported another skeleton wedged against the fireplace in the lounge."
Sandecker nodded toward an open doorway. "What's through there?"
"That opens onto the grand staircase."
"Let's take a look."
They walked onto the landing above the A Deck lobby and looked down. Several rotting chairs and sofas were scattered haphazardly on the steps where they had fallen when the ship sank by the bow. The graceful flowing lines of the bannisters were still sound and undamaged, and the hands of the bronze clock could be seen frozen at 2:21. They made their way down the silt-coated stairs and entered one of the passageways leading to the staterooms. Without the benefit of outside light, the scene was an eerie one. Room after room was filled with rotted and fallen paneling interspersed with overturned and jumbled furniture. It was too dark to discern any detail, and after penetrating about thirty feet, they found their way blocked by a wall of debris, so they turned and headed back to the gymnasium.
Just as they came through the doorway, the man hunched over the radio turned from his set. It was Al Giordino.
"I wondered where you two went. The Uranus Oil people want to know about their submersible."
"Tell them they can retrieve the Deep Fathom off the Titanic's foredeck just as soon as we make dry dock in New York," Pitt said.
Giordino nodded and turned back to the radio.
"Leave it to the commercial business interests to bitch about their precious property on such a momentous occasion," Sandecker said with a gleam in his eye. "And, speaking of momentous occasions, would any of you gentlemen care to celebrate with a touch of spirits?"
"Did you say spirits?" Giordino looked up expectantly.
Sandecker reached under his coat and produced two bottles. "Do not let it be said that James Sandecker ever fails to look out for the best interests of his crew."
"Beware of admirals bearing gifts," Giordino murmured.
Sandecker shot him a weary glance. "What a pity walking the plank became passé."
"And keelhauling," Drummer added.
"I promise never to dig our leader ever again. Providing, of course, he keeps me in booze," Giordino said.
"A small price to pay." Sandecker sighed. "Choose your poison, gentlemen. You see before you a fifth of Cutty Sark scotch for the city slickers, and a fifth of Jack Daniel's for the farm boys. Round up some glasses and be my guests."
It took Giordino all of ten seconds to find the required number of styrofoam cups in their Mickey Mouse all-electric galley. When the liquor had been poured, Sandecker raised his cup.
"Gentlemen, here's to the Titanic. May she never again rest in peace."
"To the Titanic. "
"Hear, hear."
Sandecker then relaxed on a folding chair, sipped at his scotch, and idly wondered which of the men in that soggy room were on the payroll of the Soviet government.
53
Soviet General Secretary Georgi Antonov sucked on his pipe with short, violent puffs and regarded Prevlov with a pensive gaze.
"I must say, Captain, I take a dim view of the whole undertaking."
"We have carefully considered every avenue, and this is the only one left open to us," Prevlov said.
"It's fraught with danger. I fear the Americans will not take the theft of their precious byzanium lying down."
"Once it is in our hands, Comrade Secretary, it will make no difference how loudly the Americans scream. The door will have been slammed in their faces."
Antonov folded and unfolded his hands. A large portrait of Lenin floated on the wall behind him. "There must be no international repercussions. It must look to the world as though we were entirely within our rights."
"This time the American president will have no recourse. International law is on our side."
"It will mean the end of what used to be called détente," Antonov said heavily.
"It will also mean the beginning of the end of the United States as a superpower."
"A cheerful conjecture, Captain; I appreciate that." His pipe had gone out and he relit it, filling the room with a sweet aromatic odor. "However, should you fail, the Americans will be in the same position to say the same of us."
"We will not fail."
"Words," Antonov said. "A good lawyer plans the prosecutor's case as well as his own. What measures have you taken in the event of an unavoidable mishap?"
"The byzanium will be destroyed," Prevlov said. "If we cannot possess it, then neither can the Americans."
"Does that include the Titanic as well?"
"It must. By destroying the Titanic, we destroy the byzanium. It will be accomplished in such a way that another recovery operation will be totally out of the question."
Prevlov fell silent, but Antonov was satisfied. He had already given his approval for the mission. He studied Prevlov carefully. The captain looked like a man who was not used to failure. His every movement, every gesture, seemed thoughtfully planned in advance; even his words carried an air of confident forethought. Yes, Antonov was satisfied.
"When do you leave for the North Atlantic?" he asked.
"With your permission, Comrade Secretary, at once. A long-range reconnaissance bomber is on standby at Gorki Airfield. It is imperative that I be standing on the bridge of the Mikhail Kurkov within twelve hours. Good fortune has sent us a hurricane, and I will make full use of its force as a diversion for what will seem our perfectly legal seizure of the Titanic."
"Then I will not keep you." Antonov stood and embraced Prevlov in a great bear hug. "The hopes of the Soviet Union go with you, Captain Prevlov. I beg you. do not disappoint us.
54
The day began going badly for Pitt right after he wandered away from the salvage activity and made his way down to No. 1 cargo hold on G Deck.
The sight that met his eyes in the darkened compartment was one of utter devastation. The vault containing the byzanium was buried under the collapsed forward bulkhead.
He stood there for a long time, staring at the avalanche of broken and twisted steel that prevented any easy attempt to reach the precious element. It was then that he sensed someone standing behind him.
"It looks like we've been dealt a bum hand," Sandecker said.
Pitt nodded. "At least for the moment."
"Perhaps if we--"
"It would take weeks for our portable cutting equipment to clear a path through that jungle of steel."