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"I'm always up for a boat ride Besides, tequila tastes better as it ages"

Austin suggested that they ed his soggy clothes for dry ones Before hooking up again with Zavala, he stopped at the sick bay to check on the Trouts They were sleeping Thefrom exposure and exhaustion but after a few hours of rest they would be fine

On the way out of sick bay, he encountered Professor Adler, as anxious to talk to the Trouts about their firsthand experience in the whirlpool The professor was disappointed that he couldn't see theested that he speak instead to some of the crew of the Benjamin Franklin, who had been transported to the Throckmorton to have their injuries treated The Franklin was anchored near the Throck

Austin met Zavala at the launch boo a foamy way toward the mystery ship Austin steered the inflatable around the vessel in a big circle while Zavala snapped photographs The sea was covered with dead fish and debris of every kind Austinit to the NOAA and NUMA ships

"She looks fairly new I'd say she's around three hundred feet long," he said

"She looks like I feel after a night out on the town," Zavala said "She's fairly wide in the beao But I don't see any cargo booms They must have been knocked off in the whirlpool"

"There's no naistration numbers on the hull," Austin said

"Maybe we're looking at a pirate ship"

Zavala's suggestion was not as bizarre as it sounded Modern-day piracy was a big problem on the seas of the world Like their ancient counterparts, pirates captured ships and used them to attack other vessels

"Maybe," Austin said, but he sounded unconvinced The vessel was in fairly good condition, considering that she had lain on the bottoed a short while I don't see any unusual rust, although it ht have been blasted off" He slowed the boat down to a crawl "We've seen everything we can froo aboard?"

"Proper protocol says we should wait for an invitation from the captain?" Zavala said

"Yes, under ordinary circumstances But he see flying," Austin said

"You've got better eyesight than I have All I see is a hulk that looks as if it would roll over if a seagull landed on the deck"

"In that case, we'd better s"

While Zavala contacted the Throckmorton on a hand radio and asked the ship to stand by in case of an eht the boat around to the lower side of the ship He waited for a wave to roll in, then gunned the motor The boat rode up on the crest and the power of the sea carried the Zodiak onto the deck Zavala quickly tied the boat to aforward like roofers to compensate for the ship's list, they half walked, half crawled up the slanting deck The broad expanse was clear except for a twisted tangle of metal that protruded from the deck at the ship's midpoint