〃You'll get used to it；〃 Cabrillo said tolerantly。
〃If I recall my California history；〃 said Pitt； 〃you discovered California in the early fifteen hundreds。〃
Cabrillo laughed。 〃My father always claimed Cabrillo the explorer as an ancestor； but I've had my doubts。 My grandparents walked across the border at Nogales from Sonora； Mexico； in nineteen thirty…one and became American citizens five years later。 In honor of my birth they insisted my mother and father name me after a famous historical figure in California。〃
〃I believe we've met before；〃 said Pitt。 〃Like about twenty minutes ago；〃 added Giordino。 〃Your imitation of a waterfront derelict； Chairman Cabrillo； alias Mr。 Smith； was very professional。〃
Cabrillo laughed merrily。 〃You gentlemen are the first to see through my disguise as a rum…soaked barnacle。〃 Unlike his staged character； Cabrillo was well…built and slightly on the thin side。 The hook nose was gone； along with the tattoos and the overstuffed belly。
〃I must admit； you had me fooled until I saw the van。〃 〃Yes； our shore transportation is not quite what it appears。〃 〃This ship；〃 said Pitt； 〃your playacting； the facade； what's it all about？〃
Cabrillo gestured for them to sit in a leather sofa。 He walked over to a teak bar。 〃A glass of wine？〃 〃Yes； thank you。〃 〃I'd prefer a beer；〃 said Giordino。 Cabrillo poured and held out a mug to Giordino。 〃A Philippine San Miguel。〃 Then a wineglass to Pitt。 〃Wattle Creek Chardonnay from Alexander Valley； California。〃
〃You have excellent taste；〃 Pitt plimented Cabrillo。 〃I have the feeling it extends to your kitchen。〃
Cabrillo smiled。 〃I pirated my chef from a very exclusive restaurant in Brussels； Belgium。 I might also add that should you get heartburn or indigestion from overindulging； we have an excellent hospital staffed by a top surgeon who doubles as a dentist。〃
〃I'm curious； Mr。 Cabrillo； what sort of trade is the Oregon engaged in； and who exactly do you work for？〃
〃This ship is a state…of…the…art intelligence…gathering vessel；〃 Cabrillo replied without hesitation。 〃We go where no U。S。 Navy warship can go； enter ports closed to most mercial shipping and transport highly secret cargo without arousing suspicion。 We work for any United States government agency that requires our unique array of services。〃
〃Then you're not under the CIA。〃
Cabrillo shook his head。 〃Although we're staffed by a few ex…intelligence agents； the Oregon is operated by an elite crew of former naval men and naval officers； all of whom are retired。〃
〃I couldn't tell in the dark。 What flag do you fly？〃
〃Iran；〃 replied Cabrillo with a faint smile。 〃The last country any port authority would identify with the United States。〃
〃Am I correct in assuming；〃 said Pitt； 〃you're all mercenaries？〃
〃I can honestly say we're in business to make a profit； yes。 By performing a variety of clandestine services for our country； we are paid extremely well。〃
〃Who owns the ship？〃 asked Giordino。
〃Everyone on board is a stockholder in the corporation；〃 answered Cabrillo。 〃Some of us own more stock than others； but there isn't a single crew member who hasn't at least five million dollars stashed away in foreign investments。〃
〃Does the IRS know about you？〃
〃The government has a secret fund for operations like ours；〃 Cabrillo explained。 〃We have an arrangement whereby they pay our fees through a network of banks in countries that do not open their records to IRS auditors。〃
Pitt took a sip of his wine。 〃A sweet setup。〃
〃But one that isn't unknown to peril and occasional disaster。 The Oregon is our third ship。 The others were destroyed by unfriendly forces。 I might add that over thirteen years we've been in operation； we've lost no fewer than twenty men。〃
〃Foreign agents caught on to you？〃
〃No； we've yet to be unmasked。 There were other circumstances。〃 Whatever they were； Cabrillo didn't explain them。
〃Who authorized this trip？〃 inquired Giordino。
〃Between you and me and the nearest porthole； our sailing orders came from within the White House。〃
〃That's about as high as you can go。〃
Pitt looked at the captain。 〃Do you think you can put us reasonably close to the United States？ We have a couple of acres of hull to inspect； and our time underwater is limited due to the Sea Dog IFs battery power。 If you have to moor the Oregon a mile or more away； just getting to the liner and back will cut our downtime considerably。〃
Cabrillo stared back at him confidently。 〃I'll put you near enough to fly a kite over her funnels。〃 Then he poured himself another glass of the chardonnay and held it up。 〃To a very successful voyage。〃
PlTT WENT OUT ON DECK AND LOOKED UP AT THE MAST LIGHT as it swayed back and forth across the Milky Way。 He planted his arms on the railing and gazed across the water at the island of Corregidor as the Oregon sailed out of Manila Bay。 The indefinable black mass rose from the night； guarding the entrance to the bay in tomblike silence。 A few lights glimmered on the interior of the island along with red warning lights on a transmitter tower。 It was difficult for Pitt to imagine the onslaught of death and destruction that inundated the rocky outcropping during the war years。 The number of men who died there； Americans in 1942； Japanese in 1945； numbered in the thousands。 A small village of huts sat near the decaying dock from which General Douglas MacArthur had boarded mander Buckley's torpedo boat for the initial stage of his journey to Australia and later return。
Pitt smelled the pungent odor of cigar smoke and turned as a crewman moved beside him at the railing。 Under the running lights； Pitt could see a man who was in his late fifties。 He recognized Max Hanley； who had been introduced earlier； not as the chief engineer or first officer； but as the corporate vice president in charge of operational systems。
Once safely out to sea； Hanley； like the rest of the dedicated crew members； transformed himself into a different person by donning fortably casual clothes better suited for a golf course。 He wore sneakers and was dressed in white shorts and a maroon polo shirt。 He held a cup of coffee in one hand。 His skin was reddened with no trace of tan； the brown eyes alert； a bulbous nose and only a wisp of auburn hair splayed across his head。
〃A lot of history on that old rock；〃 said Hanley。 〃I always e topside when we slip past her。〃
〃She's pretty quiet now；〃 replied Pitt。 〃My father died over there in 'forty…two when the big gun he was manning took a direct hit from a Japanese bomber。〃
〃A lot of good men died with him。〃
〃That they did。〃 Hanley looked into Pitt's eyes。 〃I'll be directing the descent into the water and retrieval of your submersible。 Anything me or my engineers can help you with in regard to your equipment and electronics； you just holler。
There is something。
Name it。〃
〃Could your crew do a quick repaint of the Sea Dog II？ The NUMA turquoise trademark color is highly visible in shallow water from the surface。〃
〃What color would you like？〃 asked Hanley。 〃A medium green；〃 explained Pitt； 〃a shade that blends with the water in the harbor。〃
〃I'll get my boys on it first thing。〃 Hanley turned and leaned against the rail with his back； staring up at the wisp of smoke drifting from the ship's funnel。 〃Seems to me it might have been a whole lot simpler to use one of them underwater robotic vehicles。〃
〃Or an autonomous underwater vehicle；〃 said Pitt； smiling。 〃Neither would prove as efficient as a manned submersible for inspecting the bottom of a hull the size of the United States。 The sub's manipulator arm may also prove useful。 There are certain projects where human eyesight is advantageous over video cameras。 This happens to be one of them。〃
Hanley read the dial of an old pocket watch whose chain was hooked to a belt loop。 〃Time to program the engine and navigation systems。 Now that we've reached open water； the chairman will want to triple our speed。〃
〃We must be doing close to nine or ten knots now；〃 said Pitt； his curiosity piqued。
〃Strictly a performance；〃 Hanley said candidly。 〃Whenever the old Oregon is in sight of prying eyes around the harbor or other ships that pass at sea； we like to make her look as if her antique engines and screws are straining to make headway。 Which is the way she should appear for an old tub。 In truth； she's been modified with two screws turned by twin diesel turbine engines that can push her past forty knots。〃
〃But with a full load of cargo； your hull is riding low in the water and causing a heavy drag。〃
Hanley tilted his head toward the cargo hatches and the wooden crates tied to the deck。 〃All empty。 We ride low because we fill specially installed ballast tanks to give the appearance of a heavily laden ship。 Once they're pumped out； she'll rise six feet and take off four times faster than when she was built。〃
〃A fox in disguise。〃
〃With the teeth to match。 Ask Chairman Cabrillo to show you how we bite back if we're attacked。〃
〃I'll do that。〃
〃Good night； Mr。 Pitt。〃
〃Good night； Mr。 Hanley。〃
Ten minutes later Pitt felt the ship e to life as the vibrations from the engines increased dramatically。 The wake turned from a