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She exaain "Yes, but what?"

Nantucket Shoals

41 THE CABIN CRUISER THAT HAD BEEN circling the salvage boat pulled alongside within hailing distance and cut its engine to an idle The white, red, and green tricolor of Italy fluttered on the signal ure of Angelo Donatelli stepped out of the pilothouse and waved

"Hallo, Mr Austin, I've corappa May we make a delivery?"

"Hallo, Mr Donatelli," Austin yelled back "Thank you for the resupply Until noe've had to drink battery acid"

Captain McGinty cupped his hands around his esture because his normal voice was a bellow "Skipper thanks you, too, and invites you to come aboard on your mission of merry"

Donatelli saluted in acknowledgment and went back into the pilothouse The anchor dropped into the water with a rattle and a splash, and the engine died Donatelli and his cousin Antonio stepped into an outboard launch the yacht had been towing, buzzed the short distance to the salvage ship, and climbed aboard

Donatelli handed the captain a bottle of the fiery Italian liquor "With my compliments," he said, then turned to Austin and swept his hand toward the cabin cruiser

"How do you like my blue beauty, Mr Austin?"

Donatelli's continued use of the honorific was Old World habit or siood h-class clientele, Austin figured It was a refreshing change from the phony first name, "Hi, my naripes

Austin's eyes swept the cruiser stern to stern and took in its navy hull and crea the curves of a lovely woot classically beautiful lines," he said "How does she handle?"

"Like a dream I fell in love the first time I saw her abandoned in a boatyard in Bristol, Rhode Island I've spent thousands restoring her She's forty-five feet, but the sweep of her bow er A very stable boat, perfect for taking the grandchildren out" He laughed And a way to escape the family when I need peace and quiet My clever accountant has made the boat part of the business, so I have to catch a fish now and again for the restaurants" He paused and looked ulls speckled the dark water like snowflakes "So this is where it happened"

Austin pointed to the red plastic bubble bobbing in the slight chop "The top of the ship lies thirty fathoms under that marker We're directly over her" There was no need to use the Doria's na about

"I have cruised the waters all around the island," Donatelli said, "but I have never, never been to this spot" He chuckled softly "We Sicilians are superstitious people who believe in ghosts"

All thewith this project"