“Suppose you do open the beaches for the Fourth, Larry,” said Brody. “And suppose someone gets killed.”

“It’s a calculated risk, but I think—we think—it’s worth taking.”

“Why?”

Vaughan said, “Mr. Hooper?”

“Several reasons,” said Hooper. “First of all, nobody’s seen the fish in a week.”

“Nobody’s been in the water, either.”

“That’s true. But I’ve been on the boat looking for him every day—every day but one.”

“I meant to ask you about that. Where were you yesterday?”

“It rained,” said Hooper. “Remember?”

“So what did you do?”

“I just …” He paused momentarily, then said, “I studied some water samples. And read.”

“Where? In your hotel room?”

“Part of the time, yeah. What are you driving at?”

“I called your hotel. They said you were out all afternoon.”

“So I was out!” Hooper said angrily. “I don’t have to report in every five minutes, do I?”

“No. But you’re here to do a job, not go galavanting around all those country clubs you used to belong to.”

“Listen, mister, you’re not paying me. I can do whatever the fuck I want!”

Vaughan broke in. “Come on. This isn’t getting anybody anywhere.”

“Anyway,” said Hooper, “I haven’t seen a trace of that fish. Not a sign. Then there’s the water. It’s getting warmer every day. It’s almost seventy now. As a rule—I know, rules are made to be broken—great whites prefer cooler water.”

“So you think he’s gone farther north?”

“Or out deeper, into colder water. He could even have gone south. You can’t predict what these things are going to do.”

“That’s my point,” said Brody. “You can’t predict it. So all you’re doing is guessing.”

Vaughan said, “You can’t ask for a guarantee, Martin.”

“Tell that to Christine Watkins. Or the Kintner boy’s mother.”

“I know, I know,” Vaughan said impatiently. “But we have to do something. We can’t sit around waiting for divine revelation. God isn’t going to scribble across the sky, ‘The shark is gone.’ We have to weigh the evidence and make a decision.”

Brody nodded. “I guess. So what else has the boy genius come up with?”

“What’s the matter with you?” said Hooper. “I was asked for my opinion.”

“Sure,” said Brody. “Okay. What else?”

“What we’ve known all along. That there’s no reason for that fish to hang around here. I haven’t seen him. The Coast Guard hasn’t seen him. No new reef has popped up from the bottom. No garbage scows are dumping stuff into the water. No extraordinary fish life is around. There’s just no reason for him to be here.”

“But there never has been, has there? And he was here.”

“That’s true. I can’t explain it. I doubt if anyone can.”

“An act of God, then?”

“If you like.”

“And there’s no insurance against acts of God, is there, Larry?”

“I don’t know what you’re getting at, Martin,” said Vaughan. “But we’ve got to make a decision. As far as I’m concerned, there’s only one way to go.”