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Back Sea of Fire Save as PDF
Chapters (84)
  1. Title Page
  2. Acknowledgements
  3. ONE - The Celebes Sea Tuesday, 4:19 A.M.
  4. TWO - Washington, D.C. Monday, 7:45 P.M.
  5. THREE - The Celebes Sea Tuesday, 4:34 A.M.
  6. FOUR - Sydney, Australia Thursday, 8:30 A.M.
  7. FIVE - Darwin, Australia Thursday, 8:42 A.M.
  8. SIX - Washington, D.C. Wednesday, 7:33 P.M.
  9. SEVEN - Sydney, Australia Thursday, 10:01 A.M.
  10. EIGHT - The Celebes Sea Thursday, 12:12 P.M.
  11. NINE - The Celebes Sea Thursday, 12:33 P.M.
  12. TEN - Darwin, Australia Thursday, 12:05 P.M.
  13. ELEVEN - Darwin, Australia Thursday, 12:17 P.M.
  14. TWELVE - The Celebes Sea Thursday, 1:08 P.M.
  15. THIRTEEN - Washington, D.C. Thursday, 11:09 P.M.
  16. FOURTEEN - Darwin, Australia Friday, 12:47 P.M.
  17. FIFTEEN - Darwin, Australia Friday, 12:59 P.M.
  18. SIXTEEN - Washington, D.C. Thursday, 11:55 P.M.
  19. SEVENTEEN - Cairns, Australia Friday, 7:00 P.M.
  20. EIGHTEEN - The Celebes Sea Friday, 7:33 P.M.
  21. NINETEEN - Over the Pacific Ocean Friday, 2:57 A.M.
  22. TWENTY - Cairns, Australia Friday, 7:58 P.M.
  23. TWENTY-ONE - The Celebes Sea Friday, 9:44 P.M.
  24. TWENTY-TWO - Cairns, Australia Friday, 9:45 P.M.
  25. TWENTY-THREE - Washington, D.C. Friday, 7:17 A.M.
  26. TWENTY-FOUR - The Celebes Sea Friday, 10:33 P.M.
  27. TWENTY-FIVE - Tokyo, Japan Friday, 9:34 P.M.
  28. TWENTY-SIX - Washington, D.C. Friday, 8:57 A.M.
  29. TWENTY-SEVEN - The Celebes Sea Friday, 11:09 P.M.
  30. TWENTY-EIGHT - Over the Pacific Ocean Saturday, 2:22 A.M.
  31. TWENTY-NINE - The Celebes Sea Saturday, 12:04 A.M.
  32. THIRTY - Washington, D.C. Friday, 10:07 A.M.
  33. THIRTY-ONE - The Celebes Sea Saturday, 12:36 A.M.
  34. THIRTY-TWO - The Celebes Sea Saturday, 1:00 A.M.
  35. THIRTY-THREE - The Celebes Sea Saturday, 1:01 A.M.
  36. THIRTY-FOUR - Washington, D.C. Friday, 12:31 P.M.
  37. THIRTY-FIVE - The Celebes Sea Saturday, 2:02 A.M.
  38. THIRTY-SIX - The South Pacific Saturday, 7:44 A.M.
  39. THIRTY-SEVEN - Washington, D.C. Friday, 7:44 P.M.
  40. THIRTY-EIGHT - Cairns, Australia Saturday, 9:45 A.M.
  41. THIRTY-NINE - Darwin, Australia Saturday, 12:08 P.M.
  42. FORTY - Darwin, Australia Saturday, 12:31 P.M.
  43. FORTY-ONE - Washington, D.C. Saturday, 12:23 A.M.
  44. FORTY-TWO - Cairns, Australia Saturday, 5:57 P.M.
  45. FORTY-THREE - Cairns, Australia Saturday, 6:22 P.M.
  46. FORTY-FOUR - Washington, D.C. Saturday, 7:31 A.M.
  47. FORTY-FIVE - The Great Barrier Reef Saturday, 10:03 P.M.
  48. FORTY-SIX - Cairns, Australia Saturday, 10:04 P.M.
  49. FORTY-SEVEN - Washington, D.C. Saturday, 8:47 A.M.
  50. FORTY-EIGHT - Cairns, Australia Saturday, 10:49 P.M.
  51. FORTY-NINE - Cairns, Australia Saturday, 11:12 P.M.
  52. FIFTY - Cairns, Australia Saturday, 11:27 P.M.
  53. FIFTY-ONE - Cairns, Australia Sunday, 12:00 A.M.
  54. FIFTY-TWO - Washington, D.C. Saturday, 11:00 A.M.
  55. FIFTY-THREE - The Coral Sea Sunday, 1:21 A.M.
  56. FIFTY-FOUR - Cairns, Australia Sunday, 1:42 A.M.
  57. FIFTY-FIVE - The Coral Sea Sunday, 1:55 A.M.
  58. FIFTY-SIX - The Great Barrier Reef Sunday, 2:09 A.M.
  59. FIFTY-SEVEN - The Coral Sea Sunday, 2:09 A.M.
  60. FIFTY-EIGHT - Washington, D.C. Saturday, 12:38 P.M.
  61. FIFTY-NINE - The Coral Sea Sunday, 2:39 A.M.
  62. SIXTY - Osprey Reef Sunday, 2:46 A.M.
  63. SIXTY-ONE - Washington, D.C. Saturday, 1:00 P.M.
  64. SIXTY-TWO - The Coral Sea Sunday, 3:01 A.M.
  65. SIXTY-THREE - The Coral Sea Sunday, 3:08 A.M.
  66. SIXTY-FOUR - Washington, D.C. Saturday, 1:24 P.M.
  67. SIXTY-FIVE - The Coral Sea Sunday, 3:33 A.M.
  68. SIXTY-SIX - Cairns, Australia Sunday, 3:56 A.M.
  69. SIXTY-SEVEN - The Coral Sea Sunday, 4:01 A.M.
  70. SIXTY-EIGHT - Cairns, Australia Sunday, 4:45 A.M.
  71. SIXTY-NINE - Cairns, Australia Sunday, 4:59 A.M.
  72. SEVENTY - Washington, D.C. Saturday, 3:06 P.M.
  73. SEVENTY-ONE - Cairns, Australia Sunday, 5:07 A.M.
  74. SEVENTY-TWO - Cairns, Australia Sunday, 5:16 A.M.
  75. SEVENTY-THREE - Cairns, Australia Sunday, 5:24 A.M.
  76. SEVENTY-FOUR - Cairns, Australia Sunday, 5:30 A.M.
  77. SEVENTY-FIVE - Cairns, Australia Sunday, 5:38 A.M.
  78. SEVENTY-SIX - Washington, D.C. Saturday, 4:00 P.M.
  79. SEVENTY-SEVEN - Cairns, Australia Sunday, 7:10 A.M.
  80. SEVENTY-EIGHT - Darwin, Australia Sunday, 7:13 A.M.
  81. SEVENTY-NINE - The Coral Sea Sunday, 7:45 A.M.
  82. EIGHTY - Darwin, Australia Sunday, 7:46 A.M.
  83. EIGHTY-ONE - Washington, D.C. Saturday, 6:29 P.M.
  84. Other titles by Steve Pieczenik

“You said it before,” Hood reminded him. “It’s either practical or political.”

“Well, let’s see if we can make it both,” Herbert said.

“How?” Hood asked.

“By understanding,” Herbert replied.

“That’s it?” Hood asked, amused.

“Yes,” Herbert said. “Understanding that the only way to get rid of me is by doing this thing right.”

SEVENTEEN - Cairns, Australia Friday, 7:00 P.M.

SEVENTEEN

Cairns, Australia Friday, 7:00 P.M.

The tranquillity of the cove was just what Peter Kannaday needed. Like any long-time sailor, his emotional state was strongly affected by the sea.

The sun was going down as the Hosannah entered the mouth of the cove. The effect was like a candle on the sea. There was a long, rippling, waxy-yellow streak on the water. It ended in a burning yellow wick on the horizon. Kannaday watched it from the stern as they entered the cove. Directly above him the blue-green skies were already spotted with early stars.

To all other sides of him was Darling Cove. The inlet was located in the northern reaches of the Great Barrier Reef. Over 2,000 kilometers in length and up to 125 meters thick, the reef is separated from the mainland by a shallow lagoon. The massive structure was born at the end of the Ice Age when oceanic polyps began to thrive in the region. The polyps created protective multicolored shells that survived when the animals themselves perished. Coral built upon coral for over 10,000 years, providing a home for each new generation of tentacled creature. It also became a haven for countless species of fish, giant turtles, humpback whales, manta rays, dolphins, and dugongs—marine cousins to the elephant.

The helmsman steered the yacht into the calm, wide-mouthed inlet. Kannaday looked down at the stained-glass blue water. Then he walked forward as sweet, warm air washed over the deck. It carried the hint of grapes from the Darling vineyard located to the southwest. Immediately to the northwest was a limestone formation scooped from a hundred-meter-high cliff by ancient storms. The rock glowed rust orange in the twilight.