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e had to be reinflated with helium？〃
She opened her purse； took out a Kleenex； and daintily dabbed at her nose； to give her something to do with her hands。 〃After the police released the Prosperteer； my husband's crew chief inspected every inch of her。 I have his report； if you care to see it。 You're very perceptive。 He found that the gas bags had been refilled。 Not with helium； but with hydrogen。〃
Pitt looked up in surprise。 〃Hydrogen？ That hasn't been used in airships since the Hindenburg burned。〃
〃Not to worry；〃 said Sandecker。 〃The Prosperteer's gas bags have been refilled with helium。〃
〃So what's going down？〃 Pitt asked cautiously。
Sandecker gave him a hard look。 〃I hear you want to go after the Cyclops。〃
〃It's no secret；〃 answered Pitt。
〃You'd have to do it on your own time without NUMA personnel and equipment。 Congress would eat me alive if they learned I sanctioned a treasure hunt with government funds。〃
〃I'm aware of that。〃
〃Will you listen to another proposal？〃
〃I'll listen。〃
〃I'm not going to hand you a lot of double…talk about doing me a great service by keeping this conversation to yourself。 If it gets out I go down the drain； but that's my problem。 True？〃
〃If you say so； yes。〃
〃You were scheduled to direct a survey of the sea floor in the Bering Sea off the Aleutians next month。 I'll bring in Jack Harris from the deep…ocean mining project to replace you。 To head off any questions or later investigations or bureaucratic wrongdoing； we'll sever your connections with NUMA。 As of now； you're on leave of absence until you find Raymond LeBaron。〃
〃Find Raymond LeBaron；〃 Pitt repeated sarcastically。 〃A piece of cake。 The trail is two weeks cold and getting colder by the hour。 No motive； no leads； not one clue to why he vanished； who did it； and how。 Impossible is an understatement。〃
〃Will you at least give it a try？〃 asked Sandecker。
Pitt stared at the teakwood planking that made up the floor of the admiral's office； his eyes seeing a tropical sea two thousand miles away。 He disliked being linked with a riddle without being able to calculate at the very least an approximate solution。 He knew Sandecker knew that he would accept the challenge。 Chasing after an unknown over the next horizon was a lure Pitt could never resist。
〃If I take this on； I'd need NUMA's best scientific team to man a first…rate research vessel。 The resources and political clout to back me up。 Military support in case of trouble。〃
〃Dirk； my hands are tied。 I can offer you nothing。〃
〃What？〃
〃You heard me。 The situation requires the search be conducted as quietly as possible。 You'll have to make do without any help from NUMA。〃
〃Have you got both oars in the water？〃 Pitt demanded。 〃You expect me； one man working alone； to acplish what half the Navy； Air Force； and Coast Guard failed to do？ Why； hell； they couldn't find a one…hundred…and…fifty…foot airship until it showed up on its own。 What am I supposed to use； a dowser and a canoe？〃
〃The idea；〃 Sandecker explained patiently； 〃is to fly LeBaron's last known course in the Prosperteer。〃
Pitt slowly sank into an office sofa。 〃This is the craziest scheme I've ever heard；〃 he said； unbelieving。 He turned to Jessie。 〃Do you go along with this？〃
〃I'll do whatever it takes to find my husband；〃 she said evenly。
〃A cuckoo's nest；〃 Pitt said gravely。 He stood and began to pace the room； clasping and unclasping his hands。 〃Why the secrecy？ Your husband was an important man； a celebrity； a confidant of the rich and famous； closely connected with high government officials； a financial guru to executives of major corporations。 Why in God's name am I the only man in the country who can search for him？〃
〃Dirk；〃 Sandecker said softly。 〃Raymond LeBaron's financial empire touches hundreds of thousands of people。 Right now； it's hanging in limbo because he's still among the missing。 It can't be proven whether he's alive or dead。 The government has called off any further hunt； because over five million dollars have been spent by military search and rescue teams without a sighting； without a hint of where he might have disappeared。 Budget…conscious congressmen will howl for scalps if more government money is spent on another fruitless effort。〃
〃What about the private sector and LeBaron's own business associates？〃
〃Many business leaders respected LeBaron； but at one time or another most of them were burned by him in his editorials。 They won't spend a dime or go out of their way to look for him。 As to the men around him； they have more to gain by his death。〃
〃So does Jessie here；〃 said Pitt； gazing at her。
She smiled thinly。 〃I can't deny it。 But the bulk of his estate goes to charities and other family members。 I do； however； receive a substantial inheritance。〃
〃You must own a yacht； Mrs。 LeBaron。 Why don't you assemble your own crew of investigators and look for your husband？〃
〃There are reasons； Dirk； why I can't conduct a large publicized effort。 Reasons you needn't know。 The admiral and I think there is a chance； a very slight chance； that three people can quietly retrace the flight of the Prosperteer under the same conditions and discover what happened to Raymond。〃
〃Why bother？〃 asked Pitt。 〃All islands and reefs within the blimp's fuel range were covered by the initial search。 I'd only be covering the same trail。〃
〃They might have missed something。〃
〃Like maybe Cuba？〃
Sandecker shook his head。 〃Castro would have claimed LeBaron overflew Cuban territory under instructions from the CIA and flaunted the blimp's capture to the world。 No； there has to be another answer。〃
Pitt walked over to the corner windows and gazed longingly down at a fleet of small sailboats that were holding a regatta on the Anacostia River。 The white sails gleamed against the dark green water as they raced toward the buoy markers。
〃How do we know where to concentrate？〃 he asked without turning。 〃We're looking at a search grid as large as a thousand square miles。 It would take weeks to cover it properly。〃
〃I have all my husband's records and charts；〃 said Jessie。
〃He left them behind？〃
〃No； they were found in the blimp。〃
Pitt silently watched the sailboats； his arms crossed in front of him。 He tried to probe the motives； penetrate the intrigue； lay out the safeguards。 He tried to segregate each into an orderly niche。
〃When do we go？〃 he asked finally。
〃Sunrise tomorrow morning；〃 Sandecker replied。
〃You both still insist I lead the fishing expedition？〃
〃We do；〃 Jessie said flatly。
〃I want two old hands for my crew。 They're both on NUMAs payroll。 Either I get them or I'll walk。〃
Sandecker's face clouded。 〃I've already explained=
〃You've got the moon； Admiral； and you're asking for Mars。 We've been friends long enough for you to know I don't operate on a halfassed basis。 Put the two men I need on leaves of absence too。 I don't care how you do it。〃
Sandecker wasn't angry； wasn't even annoyed。 If there was one man in the country who could pull off the unthinkable； it was Pitt。 The admiral had no more cards to play； so he folded。
〃All right；〃 he said quietly。 〃You've got them。〃
〃There's one more thing。〃
〃Which is？〃 Sandecker demanded。
Pitt turned around with a bleak smile。 His gaze went from Jessie to the admiral。 Then he shrugged and said； 〃I've never flown a blimp。〃
〃Appears to me you're making an end run behind my back；〃 said Sam Emmett； the outspoken chief of the Federal Bureau of Investigation。
The President looked across his desk in the Oval Office and smiled benignly。 〃You're absolutely right； Sam。 I'm doing exactly that。〃
〃I give you credit for laying it on the line。〃
〃Don't get upset； Sam。 This in no way reflects any displeasure with you or the FBI。〃
〃Then why can't you tell me what this is all about？〃 Emmett asked； holding his indignation in check。
〃In the first place； it's primarily a foreign affairs matter。〃
〃Has Martin Brogan at CIA been consulted？〃
〃Martin has not been called in。 You have my word on it。〃
〃And in the second place？〃
The President was not about to be pushed。 〃That's my business。〃
Emmett stiffened。 〃If the President wishes my resignation〃
〃I don't wish anything of the sort；〃 the President cut in。 〃You're the ablest and best…qualified man to head up the bureau。 You've done a magnificent job； and I've always been one of your biggest boosters。 However； if you want to pick up your marbles and go home because you think your vanity has been dented； then go right ahead。 Prove me wrong about you。〃
〃But if you don't trust=
〃Wait just a damned minute； Sam。 Let's not say anything we'll be sorry about tomorrow。 I'm not questioning your loyalty or integrity。 No one is stabbing you in the back。 We aren't talking crime or espionage。 This matter doesn't directly concern the FBI or any of the intelligence agencies。 The bottom line is that it's you who has to trust me； at least for the next week。 Will you do that？〃
Emmett's ego was temporarily soothed。 He shrugged and th