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“Kurt, can you come up to my office?”

“Can this wait, Adht

“Of course, Kurt,” Sandecker said nanimously “Is five minutes sufficient?”

The notion withered and died like a flower in the sun Sandecker inal irresistible force The admiral’s mind operated at warp speed, and consequently his sense of time tended to be compressed

“I’ll be there in two minutes”

“Splendid I think you’ll find it worth your while”

When Austin walked into Sandecker’s tenth-floor office he expected to see the director of NUMA behind the immense desk made from a hatch taken from a Confederate blockade runner Instead the admiral sat off to the side in one of the comfortable dark leather chairs reserved for visitors He was chatting with a woman who sat with her back to Austin Sandecker, earing a navy blazer with gold anchors ereet Austin

“Thank you for co, Kurt There’s someone here I’d like you to meet”

The woman stood, and Austin’s preoccupation with his Alaskan puzzle evaporated in a single glance

She was tall and slih cheekbones and almond-shaped eyes In contrast to her exotic looks she was dressed conservatively in a long burgundy skirt and htly woven into a single braid down to her shoulder blades So about her went beyond natural beauty She had the erect carriage of someone born to royalty, but at the same time she walked with the lithe easiness of a panther as she caold flecks seeination, but her musky scent made Austin think of the throb of distant drums It suddenly dawned on him who the woman was

“You’re Dr Cabral?”

Austin would not have been surprised if she had answered with a soft purr In a low,to seeiht have the chance to thank you personally for your help”

“You’re very welcome, but Gamay and Paul did all the hard work I simply answered the phone and pushed a couple of buttons”

“You are far too modest, Mr Austin,” she said with a smile that could have melted ice cubes “If not for your quick action I’ues would be decorating a village thousands of s”

Sandecker stepped between theuided Francesca back to her chair “On that happy note, Dr Cabral, would you mind if we imposed and asked you to tell us your story from start to finish?”