When he finished, Giordino rose to return to his cabin. "You've been a busy boy."

"I wouldn't want to go through it again."

"When does the shipyard expect to have the hull repaired?" he asked.

"Captain Burch and I hope to get under way the day after tomorrow and be on site four days later."

"Time enough for me to regain the tan I lost in the Antarctic." He noticed the leather bag sitting in the corner of the cabin. "Is that the case you mentioned that belonged to Dr. Egan?"

"The same."

"You say that after all that, it was empty?"

"As a bank vault after Butch Cassidy rode out of town."

Giordino picked it up and ran his fingers over the leather. "Fine grain. Quite old. German made. Egan had good taste."

"You want it? You can have it."

Giordino sat back down again and set the leather case on his lap. "I have a thing about old luggage."

"So I've noticed."

Giordino unlatched the catches and lifted open the lid-and nearly two quarts of oil flowed out into his lap and onto the carpet covering the deck. He sat there in mute surprise as it soaked his pants legs and pooled on the carpet. After the shock faded, he gave Pitt a very acidic look indeed.

"I never knew you had a thing for practical jokes."

Pitt's face reflected pure astonishment. "I don't." He jumped to his feet, rushed across the cabin and peered into the case. "Trust me. I had nothing to do with this. This case was empty when I checked it yesterday. No one but Chief Engineer House and I have been on board for the past twenty-four hours. I don't understand why somebody would bother to sneak in here and fill it with oil. What's the point?"

"Then where did it come from? It obviously didn't just materialize."

"I haven't the foggiest idea," said Pitt. There was a strange look in his eyes that hadn't been there before. "But I'm betting we'll find out before the voyage is over."