"Not yet," answered Fawcett. "Best to wait until the intermission. If he suddenly left his box during the second act of Rigoletto, it might fuel too many suspicious minds."

A Kennedy Center staff member entered the room carrying a tray of coffee. Sandecker helped himself while Fawcett inly paced the floor.

The admiral fought off an overwhelming desire to light a cigar.

After a wait of eight minutes, the President appeared. The audience applause at the end of the act was heard in the brief interval between the opening and closing of the door. He was dressed in black evening wear with a blue handkerchief nattily tucked in the breast pocket of his jacket.

"I wish I could say it was good seeing you again, Admiral, but every time we meet we're up to our butts in a crisis."

"Seems that way," Sandecker answered.

The President turned to Fawcett. "What's the bad news, Dan?"

"The captain of an auto ferry disregarded Coast Guard orders and took his ship on its normal run from Seward on the mainland to Kodiak.

The ferry was found a few hours ago grounded on Marmot Island. All the passengers and crew were dead."

"Christ!" the President blurted. "What was the body count?"

"Three hundred and twelve."

"That tears it," said Sandecker. "All hell will break loose when the news media get the scent."

"Nothing we can do," Fawcett said helplessly. "Word is already coming over the wire services."

The President sank into a chair. He seemed a tall man on the TV screens. He carried himself like a tall man but he was only two inches over Sandecker. His hairline was recessed and graying, and his narrow face wore a set and solemn expression, a look rarely revealed to the public. He enjoyed tremendous popularity, helped immensely by a warm personality and an infectious smile that could melt the most hostile audience. His successful negotiations to merge Canada and the United States into one nation, had served to establish an image that was immune to partisan criticism.

"We can't delay another minute," he said. "The entire Gulf of Alaska has got to be quarantined and everyone within twenty miles of the coast evacuated."

"I must disagree," Sandecker said quietly.

"I'd like to hear why-"

"As far as we know the contamination has kept to open waters.

No trace has shown up on the mainland. Evacuation of the population would mean a time-consuming and massive operation. Alaskans are a tough breed, especially the fishermen who live in the region. I doubt if they'd willingly leave under any circumstances, least of all when ordered to by the federal government."

"A hardfieaded lot."

"Yes, but not stupid. The fishermen's associations have all agreed to restrict their vessels to port, and the canneries have begun burying all catches brought in during the past ten days."

"They'll need economic assistance."

"I expect so."

"What do you'recommend?"

"The Coast Guard lacks the men and ships to patrol the entire gulf. The Navy will have to back them up."