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This is completely new to me I'll need tiate NUMA's findings"

"The convergence will occur in sixteen days," said Sandecker darkly

"I'll be back to you in four," the President assured him

"That still leaves us plenty of time to carry out a plan of action," said Hutton

The President reached out his hand "Thank you for bringing this on "I proive your report my fullest attention"

"Thank you, Mr President," said Sandecker "I couldn't ask for more"

As Hutton showed him out of the Oval Office, he said, "Don't worry, Jih the proper channels"

Sandecker fixed hilare "Just h the cracks, or there won't be anyone left in Honolulu to vote for him"

Four days without water The sun's unrelenting heat and the constant humidity sucked the perspiration from their bodies Pitt would not let them dwell on the ey and creative thought The ainst the boat nearly drove theenuity was the key to survival Pitt had studied many shipwreck accounts and knew that too y and hopelessness He drove Maeve and Giordino, urging the daylight hours

The prodding worked Besides serving as the ship's butcher, Maeve tied lines to a silk handkerchief and trailed it over the stern of the boat Acting as a finely athered a varied collection of plankton and microscopic sea life After a few hours, she divided her specimens into three neat piles on a seat lid, as if it were some sort of salad-of-the-sea

Giordino used the harder steel of the Swiss army knife to notch barbs into the hook fashioned fro duties, while Maeve put her knowledge of biology and zoology to work, expertly cleaning and dissecting the day's catch Most shipwrecked sailors would have simply lowered the hook into the sea and waited Giordino skipped preli the hook with the choicer, , to fish at any rate,the line as if he were a cowboy roping a calf, slowly reeling it in over his elbow and the valley between his thuive life to the bait Apparently, finding adinner acted as an enticement to his prey, and soon Giordino hooked his first fish A small tuna bit the lure, and less than ten minutes later the bonito was reeled on board

The annals of shipwrecked sailors were rife with tales of those who died of starvation while surrounded by fish, because they lacked the basic skills to catch the of it and sharpened his systean to pull in fish with the virtuosity of a veteran fisherman With a net, he could have filled the entire boat in a matter of hours The water around and beneath the little craft looked like an aquariuated to escort the castaways The ser fish that in turn attracted the larger sharks that ainst the boat

Menacing and graceful at the salided back and forth beside the boat, their triangular fins cutting the water surface like a cleaver Accoendary pilot fish, the sharks would roll on their sides as they slid under the boat Rising on the crest of a shen the boat was in a trough, they could actually stare down at their potential victih catlike eyes as lifeless as ice cubes Pitt was re in a classroom of his elementary school It was called the Gulf Strea on a demasted sloop surrounded by a school of sharks, with a waterspout in the background It was Hoainst natural forces

The old tried-and-truethewith the shark meat dried into jerky by the sun Their sushi bar was also enhanced by two fair-sized flying fish they found flopping in the bottoht The oily flavor of fresh, raw fish did not win any gour way in dier and thirst Their empty stomachs were appeased after only a few bites

The need to replenish their body fluids was also lessened