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"You have a deep affection for the sea too," he said tenderly, "and the life that lives in it"

Maeve breathed in the night "Yes, I can't deny devoting my life to it"

Giordino broke thethat one of the buoyancy tubes was losing air "Pass the pump," he ordered "If I can find the leak, I'll try and patch it"

"How is Marvelous Maeve holding up?" Pitt asked

"Like a lady in a dance contest," Giordino replied "Li in rhythm"

"She hangs together until we reach the island and I'll donate her to the Smithsonian to be displayed as the boat most unlikely to succeed"

"We strike another storm," said Giordino warily, "and all bets are off" He paused and casually glanced around the black horizon where the stars ht off to port"

Pitt and Maeve stood and stared in the direction Giordino indicated with his hand They could see a green light, indicating a ship's starboard side, and white rangefar in their wake toward the northeast

"A ship," Pitt confirmed "About five kilometers away"

"She'll never see us," said Maeve anxiously "We have no lights of our own"

Giordino disappeared in the deckhouse and quickly reappeared "Rodney York's last flare," he said, holding it up

Pitt gazed at Maeve "Do you want to be rescued?"

She looked down at the black sea rolling under the boat and slowly shook her head "It's not my decision to make"

"Al, how say you? A hearty ?"

Giordino grinned "Not half as inviting as a second go-around with the Dorsett clan"