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His first officer nodded and hurried off Pokofsky returned to his cabin

"Problems?" Ombrikov asked

Before Pokofsky could answer he felt a slight shudder run through the ship He stood there curious for perhaps half amore seemed to happen

Then suddenly the Leonin Andreyev was rocked by a violent explosion that heeled her far over to starboard, flinging people off their feet and sending a convulsive shock wave throughout the ship A great sheet of fire erupted fro fiery steel debris and oil over the exposed decks The blast reverberated over the water until it finally died away, leaving an unearthly silence in its wake and a Solid column of black smoke that mushroomed into the sky

What none of the seven hundred passengers and crehat many of them would never come to learn, was that deep a hole half above and half below the waterline, spraying a torrent of burping oil over the superstructure in blue and green fla across the teak decks with the speed of a brush fire

Almost instantly, the Leonin Andreyev was transfor fiery pyre

Pitt stirred and wondered dully what had happened For a full minute as the shock wore off he remained prone on the deck, where he'd been thrown by the force of the concussion, trying to orient himself

Slowly he rose to his hands and knees, then hoisted his aching body erect by grabbing the inner doorknob Bruised but still functioning, nothing broken or out of joint, he turned to examine the others

Giordino was partly crouched, partly lying across the threshold of the shower stall The last thing he re in the cabin He wore a surprised look in his eyes, but he appeared unhurt

Moran and Loren had fallen out of the bunks and were lying in the ang of black and blue marks for a week or two, but were otherwise uninjured

Larimer was huddled in the far corner of the cabin Pitt went over and gently lifted his head There was an ugly welt rising above the senator's left temple and a trickle of blood dripped fro easily Pitt eased a pillow from the lower bunk under his head

Giordino was the first to speak "How is he?"

"Just knocked out," Pitt replied

"What happened?" Loren murmured dazedly

"An explosion," said Pitt "Soine room"