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A group of sailors helped them out of the boats and directed them to a deck hatch Calista was taken to the infirmary while the ship’s commander shook hands with Kurt and Joe

“Welcouys work for Dirk Pitt at Jim Sandecker’s old outfit, NUMA”

They nodded in unison

“Both ards,” the co Which is in an hour and forty minutes, by the way”

“Just our luck,” Kurt said

“At least you spent three days snoozing in Korea,” Joe said “Iine how I feel”

Kurt laughed “I’ll do the briefing,” he said, “but I need to get a secure e Would that be possible?”

“Sure,” the commander replied “What do you want it to say?”

“It’s coan “Basically, I need someone to declare a bank holiday tomorrow And maybe for the rest of the week Just in case”

In the last hours of that night the SS Waratah finally returned ho, but Paul would have none of it He thought the venerable old ship had been away long enough

Nudged forward by the Sedgewick, she came into the harbor virtually alone But as she approached the dock, Paul noticed a sight he would remember for the rest of his life It seemed as if half of Durban had come out, and thousands stood quietly in the dark with candles in their hands They lined both sides of the inlet and the dock

He saw no caive speeches All that would coht, the people of South Africa elco this ship home

The Waratah bu officer of the South African Navy came aboard and Paul relinquished coht only of finding Ga his arms around her

True to her word, she aiting for hian walking the dock Paul had never in his life seen so many cards, flowers, and wreaths

He stopped beside a picture that looked familiar to him In