Zacynthus nodded. "Right up the middle of the harbor's main channel and under the pilings of the cannery. Only this trip the sub carried several uninvited stowaways: myself and ten marines on loan from the Mediterranean Tenth Fleet. I might add that the cannery was surrounded by thirty of the Bureau's best agents."

"If Galveston had more than one cannery," Giordino said thoughtfully, "you'd have been in big trouble."

Zacynthus grinned knowingly. "As a matter of fact, Galveston boasts a total of four canneries, all located on pilings over the water."

Giordino didn't have to ask the obvious question. It was written all over his face.

"I'll put your mind at ease," Zacynthus said. "The Bureau's Gulf Ports Department had each cannery under surveillance for two weeks before the Queen Jocasta's arrival. The tip-off came when one of them received a shipment of sugar."

Pitt raised an eyebrow. "Sugar?"

"Sugar," the Director offered, "is often used to adulterate the heroin and boost the quantity. By the time pure heroin is cut by the middleman and cut again by the dealer, the original supply is increased by a substantial amount."

Pitt thought for a moment. "So the one hundred and thirty tons was only a beginning?"

"It could have been the beginning," Zacynthus answered, "if it wasn't for you, old friend. You're the only one who saw through von Till's plan. If you and Giordino hadn't arrived at Thasos when you did, the rest of us would be sitting up in Chicago about now, forming a daisy chain and kicking each other into Lake Michigan."

Pitt grinned. "Write it off to luck."

"Call it what you will," Zacynthus retorted. "As things stand at the moment, we have over thirty of the biggest illegal drug importers in the country waiting for indictment, including everyone connected with the trucking company that transported the goods. And that's only the half of it. When we searched the cannery office we found a book with the names of nearly two thousand dealers from New York to Los Angeles. For the Bureau it was comparable to a prospector discovering the mother lode."

Giordino let out a long whistle. "It's going to be a bad year for the addicts."

"That's right," Zacynthus said. "Now that their main source is dried up, and the local law enforcement agencies are rounding up the dealers, the users are about to face the worst drug famine to come along in the last twenty years."

Pitt's eyes left the room and gazed out the window, seeing nothing. "There is just one more question."

Zacynthus looked at him. "Yes?"

Pitt didn't reply immediately. He fiddled with his cane a moment. "What became of our old friend? I've seen no mention of him in the newspapers."

"Before I answer you, take a look at these." Zacynthus pulled a pair of photographs from a briefcase and laid them in front of Pitt side by side on the desk.