Page 28 (1/2)

Giordino gave a slight bow and srimly "After you"

Pitt never doubted Giordino's fortitude for a minute The little Italian was utterly fearless It was an old routine they had practiced many times Pitt led the hile Giordino covered any unexpected movement from the flanks and rear One behind the other they stepped into a short tunnel ending at an interior door that acted as an additional cold barrier Once through the inside door, they continued on down a long corridor that opened into a co room Giordino walked over to a thermometer attached to the wall

"It's below freezing in here," he muttered

"Soed

They did not have to go far to discover their first resident

The odd thing about him was that he didn't look like he was dead He knelt on the floor, clutching the top of a table, staring open-eyed and unwinkingly at Pitt and Giordino as if he had been expecting them

There was so about his stillness He was a bigaround the sides of his head andin the back Like most scientists who spent nored the daily antly brushed beard that fell down his chest Sadly, the nificent beard had been soiled when he retched

The frightening part about hile, was the expression of abject fear and agony on the face that was frozen by the cold into a mask of white marble He looked hideous beyond description

The eyes bulged, and the mouth was oddly twisted open as if in a final scream That this individual had died in extreernails of the white hands that dug into the tabletop were broken and split Three of thes of icecrystalled blood Pitt was no doctor and had never entertained the thought of becoor mortis; he was frozen solid

Giordino stepped around a serving counter and entered the kitchen He returned within thirty seconds

"There are two more in there"

"Worst fears confirmed," said Pitt heavily "Had just one of the station's people survived, he'd have enerators for electrical heat and power"

Giordino looked down the corridors leading to the other buildings "I' around I say we vacate this ice palace of the dead and contact Ice Hunter from the chopper"

Pitt looked at hi is that we pass the buck to Captain Deentinean authorities that the elite group of scientiststheir chief polar research station have all reat beyond"

Giordino shrugged innocently "It see to do"