“In that case, I'd like to make a proposal,” Austin said. He related his conversation with Aguirrez.

Sandecker puffed thoughtfully on his cigar. “Let me see. You'd like to use the resources of this Basque, who may or may not be a terrorist, to carry out a NUMA mission in a foreign country?” Sandecker said.

“If we can't use the U.S. Marines or the Mounties, he might be all we have.”

“Hmm,” Sandecker said. “Can he be trusted?”

“He can be trusted to do whatever he can to find his relics. Beyond that I can't say, other than to remind you that he saved my life on two occasions.”

Sandecker tugged at his precisely trimmed beard. The idea of using the Basque appealed to the admiral's unconventional side, but he was reluctant to lose control of the situation. On the other hand, he had complete confidence in Austin and his team.

“Use your best judgment,” Sandecker said. “There's something else,” Austin said. He told them about the overnight closing of the museum exhibition and the accident in- volving Senator Graham.

Unknown

“But I know Graham well,” Sandecker said.

Gunn nodded. “And guess what his commerce committee has been involved in lately? Legislation trying to close loopholes that would allow biofish to be shipped into the U.S.”

“Quite a coincidence, isn't it?” Austin said. “Especially since he was returning from a party hosted by Oceanus.”

“Are you suggesting,” Sandecker said, “that this exhibition was an elaborate cover for an assassination crew?”

“It fits. With Graham out of the way, those loopholes may never be closed.”

“I agree. There are certainly enough party hacks around to raise the possibility of bribes,” said Sandecker, who had a low opinion of Congress.

Austin said, “Oceanus has cleared away a major obstacle. I think they're about to make their move.”

Sandecker rose from his seat and glanced around the table with his cold blue eyes. "Then it's high time we made ours/9 he said.

When Austin returned to his office, a message was waiting for him from the captain of the NUMA research vessel William Beebe, work- ing with the Danes in the Faroe Islands. Call immediately, the mes- sage said, and left a phone number.

“I thought you'd want to know,” the captain said, when Austin reached him. “There's been an accident out here. A research vessel working with a Danish scientist named Jorgensen blew up some- how. They lost eight people, including the professor.”

Austin had forgotten about Jorgensen's plans to continue his re- search near the Oceanus plant. Now he recalled warning the profes- sor to be careful.

“Thank you, Captain,” he said. "Any idea what caused the expio- sion :-

“The lone survivor said something about a helicopter in the area before the explosion, but she didn't make sense. She was the one who suggested that we call you, in fact. Seems she was on the boat as a guest of the professor. Name was Pia something.”