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“If you look at this one, you can see another structure in the background The head of the dive teaht there were at least six of these,up a photo
“If he’s right, it’s an incredible find Not only an ancient ruin but one that’s been lost for long enough that nobody reuing mystery,” Remi said
“Obviously, some sort of natural disaster,” Sam speculated “This area has a history of earthquakes That’s got to be hoound up underwater”
“Yes, butto me is the construction Stone There’s no history of stone building here This is an iined,” Leonid said
“It is odd that there’s no record of it, isn’t it?” Remi asked softly
Leonid put the photos down “Not to mented society that relies on oral tradition There are over seventy languages in the islands That speaks to separatism It could be that everyone who knew about it iped out I an earthquake would have been required to sink the entire shore to that depth”
An idea occurred to Sa it was built on the shore”
Reave him a puzzled look “Why would you think any differently?”
Sam sat forward “Have you ever heard of Nan Madol?”
“No”
“The ruling dynasty built islands out of big rocks on top of the coral reefs there—a similar approach to Venice—with a series of interconnected canals,” Sahtfully “If it was built in a lagoon or on a reef, that would better explain why it’s sub earthquake—”
“Exactly Anyithout diving the find, that would be uess We’ll know more once Selma finds us a research vessel”
They rose and reluctantly traded the coy heat outside The squall line that had been lingering on the horizon was approaching, pushing humid air ahead of it, and as they
Leonid had been on Guadalcanal for a week and was by now used to the schizophrenic weather He glanced up at the clouds without interest The interior of the SUV shterhouse, and he pulled over at a car wash being operated out of an erocery, its water supplied by runners with buckets, the workers shirtless and shoeless, laughing as they worked on a short line of vehicles
The good hulimpse of the Land Rover’s interior Remi, Sam, and Leonid spent the next half hour beneath a banyan tree, watching the washers work in nervous silence A police car appeared at the curb halfway through, and two officers approached the the hospital and getting confirmation of their account