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"Think how common the world would be without us"

Sandecker made no reply He moved up to theand stared inside the tank at the ceramic model of the Titanic Silversteinsubject, no doubt of it"

"Strange thing about the Titanic, " Sandecker said softly "Once her spell strikes, you can think of nothing else"

"But why? What is there about her that grips the io?"

"Because She's the wreck that puts all the others to shaendary yet elusive treasure A sih to pu her story, the creho sailed her, the people alked her decks in the few short days she lived, that's what fires the iination, Silverstein The Titanic is a vast archive of an era we'll never see again God only knows if it is within our power to bring the grand old da to try"

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The sub looked aerodynamically clean and smooth from her outside, but to Pitt, as he contorted his six-foot-two frame into the pilot's chair, the interior see and electrical circuitry The craft enty feet long and tubular in shape, with rounded ends like its lethargic nae portholes set in pairs on its bohilethe top, like shts

Pitt completed the checklist and turned to Giordino, who sat in the seat to his right

"Shall we make a dive?"

Giordino flashed a toothy smile "Yes, let's"

"How about it, Rudi?"

Gunn looked up from his prone position behind the lower viewports and nodded "Ready when you are"

Pitt spoke into a microphone and watched the small television screen above the control panel as it showed the Modoc's derrick lift the Sea Slug fro her over the side and into the water As soon as a diver had disconnected the lift cable, Pitt cracked the ballast valve and the subhed waves

"Life-support timer on," Giordino announced "An hour to the botto us a reserve of five hours just in case

"We'll use the reserve time for the search," Pitt said