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He sensed so," she said

"Looks like rain"

She shrugged, looking over the water "Still nice, though"

She s e have? How many dawns to watch? Let’s enjoy it while we can

"How are things in the pilothouse?" Michael asked

She blew out a breath

"Don’t worry," he said "You’ll get it"

A bit of pink was in the clouds now Gulls swooped low over the water It really was a fine ht He felt suddenly proud Proud of his ship, his Bergensfjord She had traveled halfway around the world to test his worthiness She had given theht appeared on the causeway

"There’s Greer," he said "I better go"

Michael made his way up the quay and met the first tanker truck just as Greer stepped down from the cab

"That’s the last of it," Greer said "We tapped out at nineteen tankers, so we left the last one behind"

"Any problems?"

"A patrol eyeballed us south of the barracks at Rosenberg I guess they just assuht they’d be onto us by now, but apparently they’re not"

Michael glanced over Greer’s shoulder and signaled to Rand "You got this one?"

Men were swarave hiain The man was obviously worn out His face had thinned to skull-like proportions: cheekbones ridged like knives, eyes red-rimmed and sunk into their pockets, skin waxy and damp A frost of white stubble covered his cheeks and throat; his breath was sour

"Let’s get soo for some shut-eye"

"Have breakfast with me first"

They’d erected a tent on the quay with a co Michael and Greer filled their boatery porridge and sat at a table A few otherthe gruel into their

"Everything else good to go?" Greer asked

Michael shrugged More or less

"When do you want us to flood the dock?"

Michael took a spoon of the porridge "She should be ready in a day or two Lore wants to inspect the hull herself"