repaired the flight attendant's torn knee ligaments, she mentioned a

dinner date with you too."

Pitt had a pure-as-the-driven-snow expression on his face. "I guess they

must be hungry."

Giordino rolled his eyes and tilted the flask again.  "I I've heard this

song before."

"And the steward?"

"Rough shape," Knight replied.  "But Doc thinks he'll pull through.  His

name is Rubin.  While he was slipping under the anesthetic he babbled

some wild story about the pilot murdering the first and second officers

and then vanishing in flight."

"Maybe not so wild," said Pitt.  "The pilot's body has yet to be found."

"Not my territory," Knight shagged.  "I've got enough to worry about

without getting bogged down in an unsolved air mystery.

"Where do we stand on the Russian sub?" asked Giordino.

"We keep the lid on our discovery until we can report face to face with

the big brass at the Pentagon.  Stupid to fumble away the ball away

through a communications leak.  A piece of luck, for us at any rate, the

plane crashing.  Gives us the logical excuse to set a course for home

and our dock in Portsmouth as soon as the survivors can be airlifted to

a stateside hospital.  Let's hope the unexpected diversion will confuse

Soviet intelligence analysts enough to get them off our back."

"Don't count on it," Giordino said, his face beginning to glow.  "If the

Russians had the slightest suspicion we struck pay dirt, and they're

paranoid enough to think our side caused the plane crash as a diversion,

they'll come charging in with salvage ships, a protective fleet of

warships, a swarm of covering aircraft and, when they pinpoint the sub,

raise and tow it back to their station at Severomorsk on the Kola

Peninsula."

"Or blow it into smithereens," Pitt added.

"Destroy it?"

"The Soviets don't have major salvage technology.  Their prime objective

would be to make certain no one else laid hands on it."

Giordino passed the cognac to Pitt.  "No sense debating the cold war

here.  Why don't we return to the ship, where it's nice and warm?"

"Might as well," said Knight.  "You two have already done more than your

share."

Pitt stretched and began zipping up his parka.  "Think I'll take a

hike."

"You're not coming back with us?"

"In a bit.  Thought I'd look in on the archaeologists and see how they

are."

"Wasted trip.  Doc sent one of his medics over to their camp.  He's

already reported back.  Except for a few bruises and strains they were

all fine."

"Might find it interesting to see what they've dug up," Pitt persisted.

Giordino was an old hand at reading Pitts mind.  "Maybe they've found a

few old Greek amphoras lying around."

"Won't hurt to ask."

Knight gave Pitt the benefit of a hard stare.  "Mind what you say."

"I have our geological survey story down pat."

"And the aircraft passengers and crew?"

"They were all trapped among the wreckage and died from hypothermia