“Right now, the comm center is being used for important business. Come back later,” said Stephen Penderghast’s assistant, Zsóke.

Ryan Naidu, their ocean-currents study scientist, was the wide-eyed warning guy. And what was he doing in here? She had expected to find Daniel, the crawl-time superintendent and project-scheduling supervisor.

Ryan and Zsóke leaned over the massive, inclined tracking screen.

Somehow DeAnna had walked into a situation, and she made an attempt to salvage it. “Zsóke!” She fumbled with the pronunciation. To her ear, it sounded like SO-key, but when Stephen Penderghast said it, the name sounded Eastern European and harsher. “I hope Mr. Penderghast is doing well.”

Zsóke gave a slow nod. “He lives.”

With Zsóke’s attention on DeAnna, Ryan jerked his head sideways, indicating DeAnna should leave now.

“Good. That’s good. Give him my best wishes.” DeAnna backed out and headed for the rear-deck helipad. Yes, there was the Penderghast helicopter, its rotor slowly rotating. She might have noticed its arrival, except her crawl time was in the middle of the night and she had to sleep sometime...

Zsóke appeared, black hair wild in the wind, walked briskly to the helicopter and got in the pilot’s seat, making a check of the instruments in preparation to lift off. It figured that Zsóke was the pilot.

DeAnna turned and bumped into Ryan. “What was that all about?”

Even in the breeze, Ryan looked pale and sweaty, as if his encounter made him seasick. “Zsóke is interested in the currents around the Arcturus on the night Stephen Penderghast was hurt.”

“Do you have that information? About the currents?”

“Not to Zsóke’s complete satisfaction, but essentially yes.”

Daniel sidled up, keeping out of sight of the rising helicopter. “Ryan, man, how did it go?”

“I just spent a harrowing hour outlining all the possibilities of where the currents surrounding this ship could have taken an object.” Ryan looked over the railing. “If it had fallen into the ocean.”

“I wondered why Zsóke wanted to talk to you in private.” Daniel pulled them both into the shade of a lifeboat. When DeAnna looked at him in surprise, he said, “We don’t want to be seen discussing anything about Stephen or Zsóke.”

“Ryan? What did they lose?” DeAnna asked.

Ryan shook his head. “I don’t know. Zsóke wouldn’t tell me what, if anything, had gone over the edge and didn’t listen when I said where and how far the currents carry an object depends on its size and weight and...all the things.”

Daniel thought it through. “That night, something went overboard, and they want to retrieve it. Something Stephen got badly hurt trying to save.”

DeAnna took the next leap. “What’s so precious Stephen was willing to die for it?”

“I don’t know,” Ryan said.

“Why didn’t you ask?” DeAnna pressed.