ift shops and movie theater。
The etched…glass doors that opened to the first…class dining room had been removed。 The walls； with their Spartan fifties decor and high…arched ceiling； stood guard over an empty room。 It was the same everywhere he walked； his footsteps echoing on the salon deck； which had been stripped of its carpeting。 The 352 seats of the theater had been torn out。 The gift shops were bare of display shelving and cases。 Each of the two cocktail lounges was little more than a hollow partment。 The ballroom； where the wealthy celebrities of their time danced their way across the Atlantic； was stripped down to the bare walls。
He hurried up a panionway to the crew's quarters and the wheelhouse。 The bareness was repeated。 The crew's cabins were devoid of any sign of furnishings or human presence。 〃An empty shell；〃 Pitt muttered under his breath。 〃The entire ship is one big empty shell。〃
The wheelhouse was a different story。 It was crammed from deck to ceiling with a maze of puterized electronic equipment whose multitude of colored lights and switches were mostly positioned in the ON mode。 Pitt paused briefly to study the sophisticated ship's automated control system。 He found it odd that the brass…spoked helm was the only piece of original equipment。
He checked his watch。 Ten minutes was all he had left。 Incredibly； he had seen no workers； no crewmen。 It was as if the ship had bee a graveyard。 He dropped down the stairs to the first…class cabin deck and ran down the hallways separating the staterooms。 It was the same as the salon deck。 Where the passengers once slept in luxury from New York to Southampton and back； there was a ghostly emptiness。 Even the doors had been taken from their hinges。 What struck Pitt was the lack of trash or debris。 The gutted interior appeared surprisingly immaculate； as if the entire interior had been sucked clean by a giant vacuum。
When he reached the entry door in the purser's reception area； Giordino was already waiting。 〃What did you find？〃 Pitt asked him。
〃Damn little；〃 Giordino came back。 〃The cabin class decks and cargo holds are barren voids。 The engine room looks like the day the ship left on her maiden voyage。 Beautifully maintained with steam up and ready to sail。 Every other partment was stripped clean。〃
〃Did you get into the baggage and the forward cargo holds that were used to transport the passengers' cars？〃
Giordino gave a negative shake of his head。 〃The cargo doors were welded shut。 Same with entrances and exits to the crew's quarters on the lower deck。 They must have been cleaned out as well。〃
〃I got the same picture；〃 said Pitt。 〃Did you run into any trouble？〃
〃That's the weird part。 I didn't see a soul。 If anyone was working in the engine room； they're either mute or invisible。 You meet up with anyone？〃 〃Never encountered a body。〃
Suddenly the deck began to tremble beneath their feet。 The ships big engines had e to life。 Pitt and Giordino quickly headed down the gangway to the waiting Rolls…Royce。 Eddie Seng stood beside an open door to the passengers' seat。 〃Enjoy your tour？〃 he greeted them。
〃You don't know what you missed；〃 said Giordino。 〃The food； the floor show； the girls。〃
Pitt motioned toward the dockworkers who were casting off the huge hawsers from the iron bollards on the dock。 The big rail cranes lifted the gangways and laid them on the dock。 〃Our timing was right on the money。 She's pushing off。〃 〃How is it possible；〃 Giordino muttered； 〃with no one on board？〃
〃We'd better go too while the going is good；〃 said Seng； herding them inside the car and closing the door。 He hurried around the Rolls…Royce's flying…lady ornament on the radiator shell and leaped behind the wheel。 This time they were passed through the security gate with the mere nod of the head。 Two miles from the shipyard； his eyes darting in the rearview mirror to see if they were being followed； Seng pulled onto a dirt road and drove to an open field behind a school that was empty of children。 A purple…and…silver unmarked helicopter was sitting in the middle of a playground； its rotor blades slowly turning。 〃We're not returning to the Oregon by boat？〃 inquired Pitt。 〃Too late；〃 replied Seng。 〃Chairman Cabrillo thought it wiser to raise the anchor and put as much water as possible between the ship and Hong Kong before the fireworks start。 The Oregon should be passing out of the West Lamma Channel into the China Sea about now。 Thus； the helicopter。〃
〃Did Cabrillo work a deal on the helicopter too？〃 said Giordino。
〃A friend of a friend runs a charter service。〃
〃He must not believe in advertising；〃 observed Pitt； looking vainly for a name on the side of the tail boom。
Seng's mouth stretched in a broad smile。 〃His clientele prefers to travel in obscurity。〃
〃If we're any example of his clientele； I'm not at all surprised。〃
A young man in a chauffeur's uniform stepped up to the Rolls and opened the door。 Seng thanked him and slipped an envelope into his pocket。 Then he motioned Pitt and Giordino to follow him into the aircraft。 They were in the act of tightening their seat belts when the pilot lifted off the playground and leveled off at only twenty feet before ducking under a network of electrical power lines as if it was an everyday affair。 He then set a course to the south and flew out across the waters of the harbor； passing over an oil tanker no more than a hundred feet above its funnel。
Pitt gazed with longing at the former crown colony in the distance。 He would have given a month's pay to walk the winding streets and visit the multitude of small shops selling everything from tea to intricately carved furniture； dine on exotic Chinese cuisine in a suite at the Peninsula Hotel overlooking the lights of the harbor with an elegant and beautiful woman and a bottle of Veuve Clicquot…Ponsardin brut champagne 。。。
His reverie was shattered into a kaleidoscope of pieces when Giordino suddenly exclaimed； 〃God； what I wouldn't give for ataco and a beer。〃
The sun was down and the western sky was a bluish gray when the helicopter caught up to the Oregon and landed on one of her cargo…hatch covers。 Cabrillo was waiting for them in the galley with a glass of wine for Pitt and a bottle of beer for Giordino。 〃You two must have had a hard day；〃 he said。 〃So our chef is fixing up something special。〃
Pitt removed the borrowed coat and loosened the tie。 〃A hard day and an extremely unproductive one。〃
〃Discover anything of interest on board the United States？〃 asked Cabrillo。
〃What we found was a ship that has been gutted from stem to stern；〃 answered Pitt。 〃The entire interior is nothing but a vacuum with an operational engine room and a wheelhouse filled with automated navigation and control systems。〃
〃The ship has already left her dock。 She must be operating with a skeleton crew。〃
Pitt shook his head。 〃There is no crew。 If； as you say； she's sailing out of the harbor； she's sailing without benefit of human hands。 The entire ship is operated by puter and remote mand。〃
〃I can vouch for the fact there isn't a scrap of food in the galley；〃 added Giordino。 〃Nor stove nor refrigerator nor even a knife and fork。 Anybody taking a long voyage on that ship will surely starve。〃
〃No ship can sail across the sea without an engine…room crew and seamen to monitor the navigation systems；〃 Cabrillo protested。
〃I've heard tell the U。S。 Navy is experimenting with crew…less ships；〃 said Giordino。
〃A ship void of a crew might cross the Pacific Ocean； but she would still require a captain on board to take on a pilot and handle payment with Panamanian officials for the passage through the Canal into the Caribbean。〃
〃They could put on a temporary crew and captain before the ship reached Panama…〃 Pitt suddenly paused and stared at Cabrillo。 〃How do you know the United States is heading for the Panama Canal？〃
〃That's the latest word from my local source。〃
〃Nice to know you have a man inside Qin Shang's organization who keeps us up…to…date on current events；〃 said Giordino caustically。 〃A pity he didn't bother to tell us the ship was converted into a remote…operated toy。 He might have saved us a boatload of trouble。〃
〃I have no man on the inside；〃 explained Cabrillo。 〃I wish I had。 The information was obtained from the Hong Kong agent for Qin Shang Maritime Limited。 mercial ship arrivals and departures are not classified secrets。〃
〃What is the United States's final destination？〃 asked Pitt。
〃Qin Shang's port at Sungari。〃
Pitt stared at the wine in his glass in long silence； then said slowly； 〃For what purpose？ Why would Qin Shang send a fully robotic ocean liner with its guts removed across an ocean to a miscarriage of a shipping port in Louisiana？ What can be rolling around in his mind？〃
Giordino finished off his beer and dug a tortilla chip into a bowl of salsa。 〃He could just as well divert the ship somewhere else。〃
〃Possibly。 But she can't hide。 Not a ship her size。 She'll be tracked by reconnaissance satellites。〃
〃Do you suppose he intends to fill it with explosives and blow up something；〃 offered Cabrillo； 〃like maybe the Panama Canal。〃
〃Certainly not the Panama Canal or any other