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Swiftly, Pitt reached down and dragged the tarpaulin aith his left hand while aiht

A figure enveloped in a heavy foul-weather jacket lay huddled on the cargo deck, the eyes loosely closed in a state of unconsciousness that was obviously related to the ugly, bleeding, and purplish bruise just above the hairline

Sturgis stood rooted in the shadows in shocked i to the diers and shook his head in disbelief "Good lord," he muttered in awe "Do you knoho that is?"

"I do," Pitt answered evenly "Her naram"

58

With appalling abruptness, the sky above the Mikhail Kurkov went pitch darkgreat black clouds rolled overhead, obliterating the evening stars, and the wind returned and rose to a wailing gale of forty es of the wave crests and carrying the foam in well-defined streaks toward the northeast

Inside the large wheelhouse of the Soviet ship it arm and co the Titanic's blip on radar

"When I took co a schoolboy, "I was under the impression ra an out-and-out military operation"

Prevlov held up a protesting hand "Please, Captain, you forget the words military and operation are unmentionable The little venture upon which we are about to eal civilian activity known in the western countries as a change in ement"

"Blatant piracy is closer to the truth," Parotkin said "And what do you call those ten marines you so kindly added to my cree left port? Stockholders?"

"Again, not marines, but rather civilian crewmen"

"Of course," Parotkin said dryly "And every one armed to the teeth"

"There is no international law I know of that forbids ship crewht to possess arms"

"If one existed, you would no doubt discover an escape clause"

"Come, come, my dear Captain Parotkin" Prevlov slapped hi is played to the finale, ill both be heroes of the Soviet Union"