“Ambitious hobbies in either case.” “I still enjoy the company of beautiful women, especially if they are intelligent. But with me, the past is more than a hobby.” He looked as if he were about to spring from his chair. “It is my passion. As you said earlier, the Basques were great men of the sea. They pioneered the cod and whale fisheries off North America decades before Columbus. An ancestor of mine, Diego Aguirrez, profited from this trade.”

“He would be proud to see his descendant has carried on his legacy.”

“You're more than kind, Mr. Austin. He was a man of great courage and unyielding principle, qualities that got him in trouble with the Spanish Inquisition. He angered one of the more ruthless Inquisitors.”

“Then he was executed?” Aguirrez smiled. “He was resourceful, as well. Diego saw his wife and children to safety. I am a direct descendant of his eldest son. Family tradition says he escaped in one of his ships, but his fate is a mystery.”

“The sea is full of unsolved puzzles.” Aguirrez nodded. “Nevertheless, he left tantalizing clues that show he intended to put himself far beyond the reach of the Inqui- sition. The traditional North American route for the Basques in- cluded a stopover here in the Faroes. So I began to explore that link. You know the origins of the name Skaalshavn?”

“I've been told it means 'Skull Harbor.' ”

Aguirrez smiled and rose from the table to extract an ornately carved wooden box from a cabinet. He unlatched the top and pulled out a skull, cradling it in one hand like Hamlet contemplating Yorick. “This is from one of those caves. I've had it looked at by ex- perts. It has distinct Basque characteristics.” He tossed the skull to Austin as if it were a ball, probably hoping to shock him.

Austin caught the skull neatly and spun it in his hand like a ge- ographer studying a globe of the world. “Maybe it's your ancestor Diego.” He tossed the skull back.

“I wondered the same thing and had it tested for DNA. This gen- tleman and I are not related, I'm sad to say.” Aguirrez put the skull back into the box and rejoined Austin at the table. “This is my sec- ond visit here. The first time, I expected that the caves would be ac- cessible from land. I was dismayed to learn that the harbor and cave area had been purchased for use as a fish farm. I located a man who had worked in demolition when the farm was set up. He said that when the owners were blasting out rock to create storage space, they broke through to the caves. I tried to persuade the owners to let me conduct archaeological explorations, but they refused. I pulled every string I could think of, but even with my connections, Oceanus wouldn't budge. So I came back for another look.”

“You're very persistent.”