Francois was awaiting their arrival, an anxious expression on his usually bland face. “I'm so sorry to interrupt your work, Mademoiselle Skye. The co chon who called me was most insistent.”

She pecked him lightly on the cheek. “Don't worry, Francois; it's not your fault. Tell me what they want.”

He gestured toward the mountains. “They want you over there.” “The glacier. Are you sure?”

He nodded his head vigorously. “Yes, yes, I asked the same thing. They were very clear that they needed your expertise. They found something in the ice. That's all I know. The boat is waiting.”

Skye turned to Austin, an anxious look on her face. He anticipated her words. “Don't worry. I'll wait until you get back before I dive on the tomb.”

She embraced Austin in a warm hug and kissed him on both cheeks.

“Merci, Kurt. I really appreciate this.” She shot him a smile that was only a few Btus short of seduction. “There's a nice little bistro on the Left Bank. Good value for the money.” She laughed at his blank look. “Don't tell me you've forgotten your dinner invitation? I accept.”

Before Austin could reply, Skye climbed down the ladder into the waiting powerboat, the outboard motor buzzed, and the shuttle headed toward shore. Austin was an attractive and charming man, and he had met many fascinating and beautiful women in his career. But as leader of NUMA's Special Assignments Team, he was on call day or night. He was seldom home and his globe-hopping lifestyle was not conducive to a long-term relationship. Most encounters were all too brief.

Austin had been attracted to Skye from the start, and if he read the signals in her glance and smile and voice correctly, the feeling was mutual. He chuckled ruefully at the turnabout. Usually he was the one who went charging off when duty called, while his romantic interest of the moment cooled her heels. He gazed off at the boat making its way toward shore and wondered what sort of artifact could have created so much excitement. He almost wished that he had accompanied Skye.

Within a few hours, he would be thanking the gods that he didn't go along for the ride.

LEBLANC MET SKYE on the beach and correctly sized up her sour mood. But the Frenchman's unkempt appearance masked his considerable Gallic charm and wit. Minutes after Skye got into the car, the troll-like man had her laughing with his stories about the temperamental Fifi.

Skye saw that the Citroen was heading to one side of the ice field and said, “I thought we were going to the glacier.”

“Not to the glacier, mademoiselle. We will be going under it. My colleagues and I are studying the movement of the ice at an observatory eight hundred feet beneath Le Dormeur.”

“I had no idea,” Skye said. “Tell me more.”

LeBlanc nodded and launched into an explanation of his work at the observatory. As Skye listened intently, her scientific curiosity took the edge off her irritation at being drawn away from the ship.