"Just what are these seagoing eggheads looking for that brought this rotten business down around our heads?"

"A fish," Pitt replied, grinning.

Lewis' eyes widened and he almost dropped his cigar on his huge lap. "A what?"

"A fish," Pitt repeated. "It's nicknamed Teaser; a rare species reported to be a living fossil. Gunn assures me that landing one would be the greatest scientific achievement of the decade." Pitt supposed wryly that he was overdoing it a bit, but he was irritated by Lewis' blustering pompousness.

Lewis' face was not pleasant as he rose trembling from his chair. "You mean to say that I have fifteen million dollars' worth of wrecked aircraft scattered over a base under my personal command, my military career all but ruined, and all because of a goddamned fish?"

Pitt tried his best to look serious. "Yes, Colonel, I guess you might say that."

A saddened look of absolute defeat gripped Lewis' features as he shook his head from side to side. "My God, my God, it's not fair, it's just not…"

He was interrupted by a knock on the metal door. The cabin boy entered, carrying a tray containing three brown bottles.

"Keep them coming," Pitt ordered. "And keep them cold."

"Yes sir," the boy mumbled. He set the tray down on the desk and hurried from the cabin.

Giordino passed Lewis a beer. "Here Colonel, drink up and forget the damage to Brady. The taxpayers will absorb the cost anyway."

"In the meantime I'll probably suffer a coronary," Lewis said gloomily. He sat back down in the chair, collapsing like a leaky inner tube.

Pitt held up the ice frosted bottle and rolled its cold surface across his forehead. The red and silver label was stuck on crooked. He stared idly at the reversed printing that proudly proclaimed: BY APPOINTMENT TO THE ROYAL GREEK COURT.

"Where do we go from here?" Giordino said between gulps.

Pitt shrugged. "I'm not sure yet. A lot depends on what Gunn finds in the wreckage of the Albatros."

"Any idea?"

"None at the moment."

Giordino mashed his cigarette into an ashtray. "If nothing else, I'd say we're well ahead of the game, especially compared to this time yesterday. Thanks to you our ghost from World War I is kaput, and we have a pretty good lead on the instigator behind the attacks. All we have to do now is have the Greek authorities pick up von Till."

"Not good enough," Pitt said thoughtfully. "That would be the same as a district attorney demanding the indictment of a suspect for murder who had no motive. No, there has to be a reason, not a valid one in our eyes necessarily, but still a reason for all this intrigue and destruction."

"Whatever the cause, it isn't treasure."

Pitt stared at Giordino. "I'd forgotten to ask. Did Admiral Sandecker send a reply to your message?"