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His curious nature aroused, he turned the scope on it

The hull was painted a undy stripe that flared at the stern The effect was that of an arrow as it banked and tracked into the sun Shaaited until the glare subsided and then he zeroed in on the driver The single figure behind the windscreen wore goggles, but Shaw recognized the squat nose, the cold, hard face

It was Foss Gly

Shaw gazed fascinated as the hydroplane cut a large circle around the three ships, leaping clear of the water with only the props sub doith a kettledru

It was difficult to keep the scope trained on the bouncing boat, but he locked in when it swung on an opposite course and gave him a clear view of the exposed cockpit over the transom

Gly was clutching the wheel with his right hand while his left hand held aloft a sleamed in the sun, and Shaw identified it as an antenna

"No!" he shouted to the un hearing wind as the awful truth of Gly's intent struck him "No, damn you, no!"

Suddenly the stillness of thethunder that seehten with terrible swiftness, and a caldron of boiling water erupted and burst toward the sky arouqd the Ocean Venturer as the explosives on the bow of the Empress detonated

The research vessel see suspended for a few seconds, and then fall back on its starboard side, down, down until it seemed to drown under the massive column of water

Even on shore the violence of the explosion was shocking Shaw steadied himself on the tripod of the scope and stared, numb with disbelief

The spray rose whitely in a vast cloud, swirling above the ravity and finally raining in a drenching torrent that entirely saturated the superstructures of both ships There wasn't aon any deck They were all knocked flat or overboard by the force of the blast

When Shaw retrained the scope of Gly, the hydroplane was hurtling far up the river toward Quebec

Stony-faced, bitter at his helplessness, Shaw could only watch in agonized frustration as Gly once again escaped

He turned back to the Ocean Venturer

It looked like a dead ship Its stern had settled ominously and its hull was heeled far over to starboard