Page 83 (1/2)

Pitt shook his head "Haven't heard a word Probably lost heart and deserted the cause"

"I have to desert the cause too," Loren said gently "But only for a little while"

Pitt looked at her sternly a hed

"How did a nice girl ever become a politician?"

She wrinkled her nose "Chauvinist"

"Seriously, where will you be?"

"A shortifact-finding junket on a Russian cruise ship sailing the Caribbean"

"Of course," Pitt said "I'd forgotten you chair the committee for merchant marine transport"

Loren nodded and patted her mouth with her napkin "The last cruise ship to fly the Stars and Stripes was taken out of service in 1984 To race The President feels strongly that we should be represented in ocean coress for a budget outlay of ninety million dollars to restore the SS United States, which has been lain up at Norfolk for twenty years, and put her back in service to con cruise lines"

"And you're going to study the Russian ers with vodka and caviar?"

"That," she said, looking suddenly official, "and the econoovernment-operated cruise ship"

"When do you sail?"

"Day after tomorrow I fly to Miami and board the Leonin Andreyev I'll be back in five days What will you do?"

"The adation"

"Does any of this information help you?"