Paul opened the envelope, unfolded the paper inside and handed it to Gamay. She read the single sentence neatly printed on hotel stationary: “Call me soonest. A.”

A telephone number followed the brief message.

"Duty calls,” Paul said.

Gamay rolled her eyes. “Sometimes duty calls at the worst damn time!” She snatched the key from his hand and headed for the elevator.

Back in their room, Paul suggested that Gamay take the first shower while he called Austin. She snapped up the offer without hesitation and left a trail of clothes leading to the bathroom. Concluding that a palliative was in order, Paul called room service and asked to have a shaker of extra-dry martinis sent up. The tray arrived about the same time the shower stopped running. Paul poured a glass and knocked on the bathroom door. It opened in a cloud of steam, and a hand reached out for the martini. He poured himself a drink, propping his long legs up on a footstool, took a grateful sip and pronounced the cocktail tolerable for Istanbul. Fortified for the task ahead, he dialed the number on Austin's note.

“We're back in Istanbul,” Trout said, when Kurt's voice came on the line. “Got your note.”

“Good. How was your trip?”

“lnformative and full of surprises.” Trout gave Austin a summary.

“From your description of Razov's yacht, it sounds like a FastShip. Probably powered by gas turbines that can kick it up to speeds twice that of comparable boats. Smart. Razov can move his center of operations anywhere on the globe within days. I'm glad no one was hurt, but it's too bad about the professor's cottage. As soon as we hang up, I'll start the ball rolling on an official NUMA invitation to Orlov and his son.”

“They'll be thrilled. How did your excursion go?”

“Like you and Gamay, we got a warm reception, but I wouldn't advise it for a Cook's Tour. I'll fill you in when we meet.”

“Can't wait to hear the details.”

“You'll get your chance sooner than you think. I'm on the Argo, and I could use the immediate services of a deep-ocean geologist and a marine biologist who will work cheap.”

“Unfortunately, I know where you can find a couple of poor wastrels who fit that description exactly.”

“I knew I could count on you. I've made arrangements for transportation. How soon will you be ready to travel?”

“We arrived at the hotel a few minutes ago, so we won't even have to pack.” Paul glanced at the bathroom door and smiled. Gamay was singing an off-key version of “Gonna Wash That Man Right Out of My Hair.” “Do we have time to finish our martinis?”

“Oh hell, Paul, have two. You'll be sharing space with a VIP from the States. You've got a couple of hours before he flies in.”

“Wonderful! We get to ride with a six-chinned Senator Claghorn with a comb-over.”