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It stillthe open part of the bay off the city now, and he pushed the mystery from his mind He called the harbor officials over the ship’s radio and kept theiven orders for the anchorage

Morales pointed out the buoys to Sht to slow speed He then swung the stern around until the boas facing the incoon slowed to a halt in an open area between a Canadian container ship and a Libyan oil tanker

“You ed with a nod as he held a loudspeaker in front of his face

“Let go anchor!” he shouted at his crew The co clatter of the chain links against the hawsehole, followed by a great splash as the anchor plunged into the water The bow of the ship became hazy from the cloud of dust and rust that burst from the chain locker

Morales released his grip on the worn spokes of the wheel and turned to Smith “You will, of course, pay the pilot’s fee when you turn over your documents to the harbor officials”

“Why wait?” snorted Smith He reached into a pocket of his coveralls and produced a wad of crinkled American hundred-dollar bills He counted out fifteen bills, then hesitated, looked into Morales’s shocked expression, and said, “Oh, what the heck, suppose we make it an even two thousand dollars”

Without the least indecision, Morales took the bills and slipped them into his wallet

“You are enerous, Captain Smith I will notify the officials that the pilot’s fee was paid in full”

S He put a irls Where’s a good place in Santiago to meet them?”

“The cabarets on the waterfront are where you’ll find both cheap entertainment and drinks”

“I’ll tell my crew”

“Good-bye, Captain” Morales did not extend his hand He already felt unclean just by being on board the ship; he could not bring hireasy hand of the obnoxious captain Morales’s easygoing Cuban wars and he didn’t want to waste another second on board the Oregon Leaving the wheelhouse, he dropped down the ladder to the deck and descended to the waiting pilot boat, still stunned at experiencing the filthiest ship he had ever piloted into the harbor Which is just what the owners of the Oregon wanted him to think

If Morales had exaht have realized it was all a façade The Oregon rode low in the water because of specially fitted ballast tanks, which when filled ater lowered the hull to ine treines hisper-silent and vibrationless

And the coating of rust throughout the ship? It was artistically applied paint

SATISFIED that the pilot and his boat had pulled away froon, Captain Smith stepped over to a handrail mounted on the deck that did not seeripped it and pressed a button on the underside The square section of the deck on which S until it stopped in a vast, brightly lit rooe consoles containing co systems The deck in the command center was richly carpeted, the walls were paneled in exotic woods and the furniture looked as if it had coner’s showrooon