Returning to China, she found a job with a government program targeting the health of slum dwellers. The work centered on prevention, making sure that people were immunized and eliminating the sources of disease in the water and air. Her success led to a position in a hospital, where she was working at the time the SARS epidemic broke out.

Finally, Lee told Gamay how she had been exiled to the countryside after questioning the government’s response to SARS, and about her redemption and assignment to Bonefish Key, to work on a vaccine, based on an ocean organism, for a new virus strain.

“The blue medusa?”

“That’s right.” She seemed surprised. “It’s related to the highly toxic sea wasp. How did you know about it?”

“I badgered Dr. Mayhew, and he showed me the research room.”

“I’m amazed that he allowed you to see it,” Lee said. She stared at Gamay as if she were seeing her for the first time. “I just realized that I really don’t know who you are.”

“I’m a marine biologist with NUMA. I came to Bonefish Key because I was interested in ocean biomedicine.”

“From the looks of it, you were more interested in me,” Lee said.

“Sometimes things just happen,” Gamay said.

Lee smiled.

“You sound like a Chinese philosopher, Dr. Trout. Anyway, I’m glad you were interested or I might not be here.”

“Dr. Mayhew said the blue medusa was a new species.”

“That’s right. Bigger and more aggressive than the sea wasp. After the work moved to the new lab, they were going to use genetic engineering to produce a more powerful toxin.”

“I wasn’t aware there was another lab,” Gamay said.

“It was secret. They called it Davy Jones’s Locker. Dr. Kane and Lois Mitchell, his assistant, left Bonefish Key and took a number of scientists and technicians with them. Dr. Mayhew and the remaining staff stayed on to make sure there were no flaws in the original research. I was charting the probable spread of the virus and how best to contain it.”

“How effective was the toxin-derived drug?” Paul said.

“It was limited at first,” Lee said. “The medusae toxin is incredibly unpredictable. Even a small amount could kill a human, and at first more lab animals died than were cured. Then we made a huge breakthrough in identifying the molecular makeup of the microbe that produces the toxin. We were on the verge of synthesis. And clinical tests would have been the next step.”

Song Lee’s eyelids had been drooping as she talked, and Gamay suggested she lie down on the sofa. Then she and Paul stepped out of the trailer into the warm Florida night.

“Thanks for coming to our rescue, Galahad,” Gamay said.

“Sorry if Sir Dooley and I cut it too close,” Paul said. “What’s your reaction to Song Lee’s story?”