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"No sign of a pulse in any of theht it"

What the boarding party found was a ship of the dead Skipper Keating I s body rested on the deck, his head leaning against a bulkhead beneath the radio Scattered throughout the boat in the galley, thequarters were the corpses of the Arnie Marie's crew Their facial expressions were frozen in twisted agony and their lih they had violently thrashed away their final moments of life Their skin had turned an odd black color, and they had gushed blood from every orifice The ship's Siamese cat lay beside a thick wool blanket it had shredded in its death throes

Dover's face reflected puzzlement rather than shock at Murphy's description "Can you determine a cause?" He asked

"Not even a good guess," Murphy cale No s

Looks like whatever killed them struck everyone at the same time"

"Stand by"

Dover turned and surveyed the faces around hieon, Lieutenant Commander Isaac Thayer

Doc Thayer was the most popular man aboard the ship An old-tiiven up the plush offices and high incoors of sea rescue

"What do you make of it, Doc?" Dover asked

Thayer shrugged and sh I better make a house call"

Dover paced the bridge impatiently while Doc Thayer entered a second Zodiac andthe two vessels

Dover ordered the helmsman to position the Catawba to take the crab boat in tow He was concentrating on theat his elbow

"A signal just in, sir, fro supplies to a teaustine Island"

"Not now," Dover said brusquely

"It's urgent, Captain," the radio operator persisted