The ship's phone buzzed and McDermott picked up the receiver. "Captain of the tug, this is Captain Harlow of the cruiser off your port beam. Whom am I speaking to?"

"Captain Jock McDermott of the Quest Marine tug Audacious."

"Now that you've arrived, Captain McDermott, I can leave station and head for Wellington. I've got five hundred survivors on board who are anxious to set foot on land again."

"You've had a busy time of it, Captain," McDermott replied. "I'm surprised you didn't depart two days ago."

"We've been busy picking up the bodies of the cruise liner's victims who died in the water. I was also asked by the International Maritime Commission to remain nearby and report on the wreck's position after it became classed as a menace to navigation."

"She no longer resembles a ship."

"A pity," said Harlow. "She was one of the most beautiful vessels afloat." Then he added, "Is there anything we can do to help you get her under tow?"

"No, thank you," answered McDermott. "We can manage."

"She looks in a bad way. I hope she stays afloat until you reach safe harbor."

"Without knowing how badly her hull was damaged by the heat, I won't bet the farm on it."

"Burning her guts out considerably lightened her. Riding high out of the water should make her an easy tow."

"No tow is easy, Captain. Be prepared for a welcoming committee and a horde of reporters when you reach Wellington."

"I can't wait," Harlow responded dryly. "Good luck to you."

McDermott turned to his first mate, Arle Brown. "Well, I guess we'd best get to work."

"At least the sea is flat," said Brown, nodding through the windshield of the bridge.

McDermott stared for several seconds at the wreck. "I have a feeling a flat sea may be all we have going for us."

McDermott wasted no time. After circling the derelict and seeing that the rudder looked to be set in the flat zero-degree position, he brought the Audacious to within two hundred feet of the Emerald Dolphin's, bow. He could only hope the rudder was frozen in place. If it moved, the hulk would shear off to the side and become impossible to control.

The tug's motor launch was lowered into the water. Brown and four of the tug's crew motored toward the wreck until they were directly under the great overhanging bow. They had visitors. The waters around the hull were teeming with sharks. Through some primeval instinct, they knew that if the ship went down there might be some tasty edibles left floating on the surface.

Climbing aboard the hulk wasn't going to be easy. She was still too hot to come aboard amidships, but the bow remained free from the worst of the fire. There were at least thirty ropes hanging from the railings above. Luckily, two of them were Jacob's boarding ladders with wooden rungs. As the boat's helmsman angled the launch under one of the ladders hanging from above, he kept the bow aimed into the waves to maintain better control.