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“Max Kane”

She consulted a clipboard and put a check mark next to Kane’s name

“Welcoive you a tour of the ship”

“If you don’tway and I’m anxious to see the B3”

“No proble Kane toward the ship’s fantail

The two-hundred-fifty-foot-long search-and-survey ship was the ht lifter With its stern-ramp A-frame crane and wide deck, the fantail was the business end of the ship It bristled with the winches and derricks that scientists used to launch underwater vehicles and devices that probed the depths Kane’s eyes went to a large tangerine-colored globe resting in a steel cradle beneath a tall crane Three portholes that resee cannons protruded from the sphere’s surface

“There it is,” Marla said “I’ll co”

Kane thanked the young wo softly as if he expected the strange object to bolt on the four legs attached to the bottom He walked around to the other side of the sphere and saw ain front of a circular opening slightly lobe, his right shoulder angled through the hatch as if he were being devoured by a bug-eyedof salty curses that echoed fro from a pirate cave

Kane set his duffel bag down, and asked, “Tight quarters?”

Thea few ray hair from eyes that were the blue of coral under flat water He had a broad-shouldered frahed two hundred pounds He grinned, showing perfect white teeth against features that had been bronzed by years at sea

“Very tight I’d need a shoehorn and a can of grease to get e dump,” he said

A dark-complexioned face poked from the hatch, and its owner said, “Give it up, Kurt They’d have to baste you with WD-40 and pound you in with a sledgehammer”

The broad-shouldered e He extended his hand in introduction “I’m Kurt Austin, project director for the Bathysphere 3 expedition”

The led out feetfirst and introduced hiineer for the B3 project”

“Nice to meet you both My name is Max Kane” He jerked his thumb at the sphere “And I’m scheduled to dive a half ee froe dump”