〃I'm at a loss to explain any of this；〃 Yasenin admitted quietly。
〃Please look closely at the device they're both holding and pointing at Selenos 4。 It seems to be a large camera with an extremely long telephoto lens。〃
〃No；〃 said Yasenin。 〃You're treading in my territory now。 Not a camera but a weapon。〃
〃A laser？〃
〃Nothing so advanced。 Strikes me as a hand…held surface…to…air missile system of American manufacture。 A Lariat type 40； I should say。 Homes in with a guidance beam； ten…mile range on earth； probably much more in the moon's rarefied atmosphere。 Became operational with NATO forces about six years ago。 So much for your alien theory。〃
Rykov was awed。 〃Every ounce of weight is precious in space flight。 Why carry something so heavy and useless as a rocket launcher？〃
〃The men in the crater found a purpose。 They used it against Selenos 4。〃
Rykov thought a moment。 〃That would explain why the scanners stopped operating a minute later。 They were damaged
〃By a hit from a rocket；〃 Yasenin finished。
〃We were fortunate the scanners finally relayed the digitized data before it crashed。〃
〃A pity the crew were not so lucky。〃
Rykov stared at the general； not sure he'd heard right。 〃Selenos 4 was unmanned。〃
Yasenin pulled a slim gold case from his coat； selected a cigarette； and lit it with a lighter embedded in the top。 Then he slid the case back into a breast pocket。
〃Yes； of course； Selenos 4 was unmanned。〃
〃But you said
Yasenin smiled coldly。 〃I said nothing。〃
The message was clear。 Rykov valued his position too much to pursue the subject。 He simply nodded。
〃Do you wish a report on what we've seen here tonight？〃 Rykov asked。
〃The original； no copies； on my desk by ten o'clock tomorrow。 And； Rykov； consider this a state secret of the highest priority。〃
〃I will confide in no one but you； General。〃
〃Good man。 There may be party honor in this for you。〃
Rykov wasn't going to hold his breath waiting for the award； yet he could not suppress a glow of pride in his work。
Yasenin returned to the stereoscope； drawn to the image of the intruders on the moon。 〃So the fabled star wars have begun；〃 he murmured to himself。 〃And the Americans have launched the first blow。〃
Pitt rejected any thought of lunch； and opened one of several granola bars he kept in his desk。 Fumbling with the wrapper； held over a wastebasket to catch the crumbs； he kept his concentration locked on a large nautical chart spread across the desk。 The chart's tendency to curl was held down by a memo pad and two books on historic shipwrecks that were opened to chapters on the Cyclops。 The chart covered a large area of the Old Bahama Channel； flanked on the south by the Archipelago de Camaguey； a group of scattered islands off the coast of Cuba； and the shallow waters of the Great Bahama Bank to the north。 The upper left corner of the chart took in the Cay Sal Bank； whose southeastern tip included the Anguilla Cays。
He sat back and took a bite out of the granola bar。 Then he bent over the chart again； sharpened a pencil； and picked up a pair of dividers。 Setting the needle tips of the dividers on the scale printed on the bottom of the chart； he measured off twenty nautical miles and carefully marked the distance from the tip of the Anguilla Cays with a penciled dot。 Next； he described a short arc another fifty miles to the southeast。 He labeled the top dot Crogan Castle and the lower arc Cyclops with a question mark。
Somewhere above the arc is where the Cyclops sank； he reasoned。 A logical assumption given the fact of the lumber freighter's position at the time of her distress signal and the Cyclops' distance as given in her reply。
The only problem was that Raymond LeBaron's piece of the puzzle didn't fit。
From his experience in searching for shipwrecks； Pitt was convinced LeBaron had performed the same exercise a hundred times； only delving deeper into currents； known weather conditions at the time of the loss； and the projected speed of the Navy collier。 But one conclusion always came out the same。 The Cyclops should have gone down in the middle of the channel under 260 fathoms of water； over 1；500 feet to the bottom。 Far too deep to be visible to anything other than a fish。
Pitt relaxed in his chair and stared at the markings on the chart。 Unless LeBaron dredged up information nobody else knew about； what was he searching for？ Certainly not the Cyclops； and certainly not from a blimp。 A side…scan survey from a surface craft or a deepdiving submersible would have been better suited for the job。
In addition； the prime search area was only twenty miles off Cuba。 Hardly a fortable place to cruise around in a slow…flying gas bag。 Castro's gunboats would have declared open season on such an easy target。
He was sitting lost in contemplation； nibbling on the granola bar； trying to see a probability in Raymond LeBaron's scheme that he had missed； when his desk speaker beeped。 He pressed the Talk switch。
〃Yes？〃
〃Sandecker。 Can you e up to my office？〃
〃Five minutes； Admiral。〃
〃Try for two。〃
Admiral James Sandecker was the director of the National Underwater and Marine Agency。 A man in his late fifties； he was of short stature； his body thin and stringy but hard as armor plating。 The straight hair and Vandyke beard were blaze red。 A fitness freak； he adhered to a strict exercise regimen。 His naval career was distinguished more by hard…nosed efficiency than sea bat tactics。 And though he wasn't popular in Washington social circles； politicians respected him for his integrity and organizational ability。
The admiral greeted Pitt's entry into his office with nothing more than a curt nod； then gestured to a woman sitting in a leather chair across the room。
〃Dirk； I understand you've met Mrs。 Jessie LeBaron。〃
She looked up and smiled； but it was an ingratiating smile。 Pitt bowed slightly and pressed her hand。
〃Sorry；〃 he said indifferently。 〃I'd rather forget I know Mrs。 LeBaron。〃
Sandecker's eyebrows pinched together。 〃Am I missing something？〃
〃My fault；〃 said Jessie； staring into Pitt's eyes but seeing only green ice。 〃I was very rude to Mr。 Pitt last night。 I hope he accepts my apology and forgives my bad manners。〃
〃You needn't act so formal； Mrs。 LeBaron。 Since we're old pals； I won't throw a tantrum if you call me Dirk。 As to forgiving you； how much is it going to cost me？〃
〃My intent was to hire you；〃 she replied； ignoring the gibe。
He gave Sandecker a bemused look。 〃Strange； I had this funny idea I worked for NUMA。〃
〃Admiral Sandecker has kindly consented to release you for a few days； providing； of course； you're agreeable；〃 she added。
〃To do what？〃
〃To look for my husband。〃
〃No deal。〃
〃May I ask why？〃
〃I have other projects。〃
〃You won't work for me because I'm a woman。 Is that it？〃
〃Sex has no bearing on my decision。 Let's just say I don't work for someone I can't respect。〃
There was an embarrassed silence。 Pitt looked at the admiral。 The lips were turned down in a grimace； but the eyes fairly twinkled。 The old bastard was enjoying this； he thought。
〃You've misjudged me； Dirk。〃 Jessie's face was flushed in confusion； but her eyes were hard as crystal。
〃Please。〃 Sandecker raised both hands。 〃Let's call a truce。 I suggest you two get together some evening and have it out over dinner。〃
Pitt and Jessie stared at each other for a long moment。 Then Pitt's mouth slowly spread in a wide infectious smile。 〃I'm willing； providing I pay。〃
Despite herself Jessie had to smile too。 〃Allow me some self…respect。 Let's split the bill？〃
〃Done。〃
〃Now we can get on with the business at hand；〃 Sandecker said in his no…nonsense way。 〃Before you arrived； Dirk； we were discussing theories on Mr。 LeBaron's disappearance。〃
Pitt looked at Jessie。 〃There is no doubt in your mind that the bodies in the blimp were not those of Mr。 LeBaron and his crew？〃
Jessie shook her head。 〃None。〃
〃I saw them。 There wasn't much left to identify。〃
〃The corpse lying in the morgue was more muscular than Raymond；〃 explained Jessie。 〃Also； he'd been wearing an imitation of a Cartier wristwatch。 One of those cheap replicas made in Taiwan。 I'd given my husband an expensive original on our first anniversary。〃
〃I've made a few calls on my own；〃 added Sandecker。 〃The Miami coroner backed Jessie's judgment。 Physical characteristics of the bodies in the morgue didn't match the three men who took off in the Prosperteer。〃
Pitt looked from Sandecker to Jessie LeBaron； realizing he was getting involved in something he had wished to avoid the emotional entanglements plicating any project that depended on solid research； practical engineering； and razor…sharp organization。
〃Bodies and clothes switched；〃 said Pitt。 〃Personal jewelry replaced with fakes。 Any thoughts on a motive； Mrs。 LeBaron？〃
〃I don't know what to think。〃
〃Did you know that between the time the blimp vanished and when it reappeared in Key Biscayne the gas bags inside the hull would have had to be reinf