Page 54 (2/2)
His thoughtful expression slowly turned incredulous He furiously wrote a short word, tore out the page and held it up-in modern capitals it read, S A R A PI S
Lily stared at Graha?"
Gronquist said, "I think it's the naod "
"A popular deity throughout the Mediterranean," agreed Hoskins "Modern spelling is usually 'Serapis "'
"So our ship is the Serapes," runted
"So we yptian shipwreck Which is it?"
"We're over our heads," answered Gronquist "We'll need the expertise of ato sort this one out"
Below the ice, Pittwhere the planking vanished into the ice He swa looked warped and bowed outward A few kicks of his fins, and he could see a section that was stove in by the ice
He eased up to the opening and slipped his head inside it was like looking in a dark closet He saw only vague, indiscernible shapes He reached in and felt soed the distance between the broken panels, The gap was too sh
He grasped the upper plank, planted a finned foot against the hull and pulled The well-preserved wood slowly bent but refused to give Pitt tried both feet and heaved with everything he had The plank still held firm When he was just about to call it quits the treenails suddenly tore off the inside ribs and the waterlogged wood peeled away, throwing Pitt backward in aard slow e rock
any respectable card-carrying one into cardiac arrest at such irreverent brutality toward an ancient artifact, Pitt felt totally unsy colder, his shoulder began to ache from the ier
"I've found a break in the hull," he said, panting like a marathon runner "Send down a camera"
"Understood," replied the stolid voice of Giordino "Come back and I'll pass it to you"
Pitt returned to the dive hole and followed his bubbles to the surface
Giordino lay on his stomach on the ice, reached down and handed Pitt a compact underwater video camera/recorder