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Prevlov looked at him, calm, unaffected Then he turned casually, al Sandecker He spoke in Russian to one of the marines The man nodded and, tipped over the radio, and pounded it with the stock of his

"There is no further use for your operations rooymnasium "I have installedroom on D Deck If you and the others will be so kind as to follow me, I will see to your comfort until the weather clears"

"One , "You owe me that"

"Of course, Admiral, of course"

"Where is Dirk Pitt?"

"I regret to inform you," Prevlov said with ironic sympathy, that Mr Pitt was in your helicopter when it ept over the side into the sea His death must have come quickly"

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Adriar into his coffee cup

"The aircraft carrier Beecher's Island is nearing the search area Her planes will begin searching at first light" Kemper forced a thin smile "Don't worry, Mr President We'll have the Titanic back in tow by mid-afternoon You have my word on it"

The President looked up "A helpless ship adrift and lost in the middle of the worst storh after lying on the bottom for seventy-six years? A ship the So

viet governet their hands on? And you say not to worry You're either a man of unshakable conviction, Admiral, or you're a hyperoptimist"

"Hurricane Ahed at the naency, but nothing in our wildest initude in the middle of May It struck so fearfully hard, and on such short notice, that there was no time to reshuffle our priorities and time schedules"

"Suppose the Russians took it into their heads to make their play and are on board the Titanic this minute?"

Ke a ship under a hundred-plus-mile-an-hour winds and seventy-foot seas? My years at sea tell me that's impossible"

"A week ago, Hurricane Amanda would have been considered impossible too" The President looked up dully as Warren Nicholson sank in the opposite sofa