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"I'asps

Now unwales and out of the water that blew over the deck, waiting for their heartbeats to slow and their breathing to conal to Brown and the fifty-gallon dru cables unseen below the surface began to spit out from beneath the hotel The crane's winch turned, the thin Falcron line took up the slack and the dru under its steel floats hipped by the current like a withering snake Ten ainst the hull The crane lifted the with the ends of both cables The crew quickly h the eyes spliced by Brown Then, with the added muscle from Pitt and Giordino, who had recovered fro tow bit mounted in front of the crane

"Ready for tow, Ocean Wanderer?" announced Barnum between heavy breaths

"Ready as we'll ever be on this end," came back Brown

Barnuine room?"

"Aye, Captain," caue

Then to his first officer in the pilothouse, "Mr Maverick, I will control from here"

"Acknowledged, Captain She's all yours"

Barnu crane, legs spread apart, a set look on his face He gripped the two chroently eased them ahead while he half turned and stared at the hotel that looet research ship

Pitt and Giordino stood on opposite sides of Barnu in the rain on the bridge wing above the waves now, staring at the Ocean Wanderer in hushed suspense laced with expectation The two huge ines were not connected to shafts leading to propellers They produced an energy force that puh thrusters for propulsion Instead of a churningfrom under the stern, the surface was only stirred by twin rivers of water that roiled the water like horizontal tornadoes

Sea Sprite's stern dug in and she shuddered under the strain froonized sea She began to fishtail, but Barnuhtened For torturedseemed to happen The hotel appeared as if she was stubbornly continuing her journey toward a tumultuous death

Below their feet on the stern deck, the engines did not throb and pound like diesels The pumps that provided power for the thrusters whined like banshees Barnuistered the stress on the engines, not happy at what he saw

Pitt came over and stood next to Barnuripped the throttles and shoved them to their stops and beyond if it had been possible

"I don't kno ines can take," shouted Barnum above the noise froine room

"Run the guts out of thelacial ice "If they blow, I'll take responsibility"