Page 140 (1/2)

"My school spirit has been bled out of me"

"Things that bad?"

"Figure it out The President goes before the Canadian Parliament tomorrow afternoon We're dead No way in hell we'll come up with a treaty by theneven if one exists, which I doubt"

"What does Pitt think?" she asked "About the train being someplace else besides buried in the river, I mean?"

"He's convinced it never reached the bridge"

"What do you believe?"

Giordino gazed expressionless down the road Then he sue with Pitt"

"Why, because he's stubborn?"

"No," Giordino answered "Because he's usually right"

For hours Pitt had stared through binocular glasses at the photo blowups, his brain interpreting the detail in three dimension

The zigzag rail fences separating pastures fro woodlands, the automo

biles and houses, a red-and-yellow hot-air balloon that reen landscape-they were all revealed in a clarity Even an occasional railroad tie could be distinguished on the weed strewn track bed

Tiht line between the destroyed bridge and the outskirts of Albany's industrial section, his eyes straining to pick out a estion of an abandoned rail spur

The secret stayed kept

He finally gave in and was leaning back in a chair resting his eyes when Heidi and Giordino entered the De Soto's chartroo?" he asked