Pitt grinned. "It must have gone down in the sea, or else made the mainland before falling."

The AP shrugged his shoulders. "Could be. But one thing's for sure; it ain't on Thasos. You have my personal guarantee on that."

Pitt laughed. "That's good enough for me." He swung the towel over his shoulder and pulled at his swim trunks. "Well it's been nice talking to you…"

"Airman Second Class Moody, sir."

"I'm Major Pitt."

The AP's face went blank. "Oh, I'm sorry, sir. I didn't know you were an officer. I thought you were one of those civilians with NUMA. I'll let you out this time, Major, but I'd appreciate it if you got a base pass."

"I'll see to it first thing after breakfast."

"My replacement comes on at 0800. If you're not back by then, I'll leave word so he'll let you in without any trouble."

"Thank you, Moody. Perhaps I'll see you later." Pitt waved and then turned and walked down the road toward the beach.

Pitt kept to the right side of the narrow paved road and in about a mile came to a small cove that was flanked by large craggy rocks. The moonlight showed him a path, and he took it until his feet crunched softly in the sandy beach. He dropped the towel and walked to the tide line. A wave broke, and the white of its crest slid smoothly across the packed sand and licked his feet. The dying wave hesitated for a moment and then fell back, forming the trough for the next crest. There was barely a breath of wind, and the glistening sea was relatively calm. The moon cast its glow on the dark water and left a shaft of silver that traveled over the surface to the horizon where the sea and sky melted together into absolute blackness. Pitt soaked up the warm stillness and moved into the water, swimming along the silver shaft.

An inner feeling always overcame Pitt when he was alone and near the sea. It was as though his soul seeped out of his body, and he became a thing without substance, without form. His mind was purified and cleansed: all mental labor ceased and all thoughts vanished. He was only vaguely aware of hot and cold, smells, touch and all the other senses, except hearing. He listened to the nothingness of silence; the greatest, but most unknown, treasure of man. Forgotten for the moment were all his failures, all his victories and all his loves, even life itself was buried and lost in the stillness.