Pitt was the first to speak. 'Why the frenzy to send Al and me back to that rotten sinkhole to retrieve a body?'
'The request came from U.S. Customs. They made an urgent appeal to Admiral Sandecker to borrow his best men.'
'And that includes you.'
'I could have begged off, claiming my present projects would grind to a stop without my presence. The admiral would not have hesitated to send someone else. But a canary let slip your little unauthorized mission to find a lost galleon in the wilds of Ecuador.'
'Hiram Yaeger,' Pitt supplied. 'I should have remembered you two are as close as Frank and Jesse James.'
'I couldn't resist dumping the routine of Washington to mix a little business with adventure, so I volunteered for the dirty job of briefing and joining you on the Customs project.'
`You mean you sold Sandecker a bill of goods and skipped town?' said Pitt.
'Mercifully for everyone involved, he doesn't know about the hunt for the galleon. At least not yet.'
'He's not an easy man to fool,' said Giordino seriously.
Not for very long,' added Pitt. 'He's probably already on to you.'
Gunn waved a hand indifferently. 'You two are on safe ground. Better me than some poor fool unfamiliar with your escapades. Anyone else in the NUMA bureaucracy might overestimate your abilities.'
Giordino made a surly face. 'And we call him a friend?'
'What can NUMA do for Customs that's so special?' asked Pitt.
Gunn spread a sheaf of papers on the table. 'The issue is complex but involves the plunder of ancient art.'
'Isn't that a little out of our line? Our business is underwater exploration and research.'
'Destruction for the purpose of looting underwater archaeological sites is our business,' Gunn stated earnestly.
'Where does recovering Dr. Miller's body enter the picture?'
'Only the first step of our cooperation with Customs. The murder of a world-renowned anthropologist is the bedrock of their case. They suspect the killer is a highlevel member of an international looting syndicate, and they need proof for an indictment. They also hope to use the killer as a key to unlock the door leading to the masterminds of the entire theft and smuggling operation. As for the sacred well, Customs and Peruvian authorities believe a vast cache of artifacts was raised from the bottom and has already been shipped to black-market receiving stations around the world. Miller discovered the theft and was terminated to shut him up. They want us, you and Al in particular, to search the floor of the well for evidence.'
'And our plan to explore for the lost galleon?'
'Complete the job on the well, and I'll authorize a small budget out of NUMA to fund your search. That's all I can promise.'
'And if the admiral shoots you down?' asked Giordino.
Gunn shrugged. 'He's my boss as well as yours. I'm an old navy man. I follow orders.'
'I'm old air force,' Pitt replied. 'I question them.'
'Worry about it when the time comes,' said Giordino. 'Let's get the sinkhole probe out of the way.'
Pitt took a deep breath and relaxed in his chair. 'Might as well do something useful while Yaeger and Perlmutter conduct their research. They should have some solid leads by the time we stumble out of the jungle.'
'There is one more request from the Customs agents,' said Gunn.
'What the hell else do they have on their want list?' demanded Pitt roughly. 'A dive orgy for souvenirs thrown off cruise ships by tourists afraid of Customs inspectors?'
'Nothing so mundane,' Gunn explained patiently. 'They also insist that you return to the Pueblo de los Muertos.'
'They must think artifacts sitting in the rain qualify as underwater stolen goods,' Giordino said with acidic humor.
'The Customs people are in dire need of an inventory.'
'Of the artifacts in the temple?' Pitt asked incredulously. 'Do they expect an indexed catalogue? There must be close to a thousand items stacked inside whatever is left of the temple after the mercenaries finished blowing it all to hell. They need archaeologists to sort through the hoard, not marine engineers.'
'The Peruvian Investigative Police have investigated and reported that most of the artifacts were removed from the temple soon after you escaped,' explained Gunn. 'International Customs agents need descriptions so they can identify the artifacts should they begin to show up at antique auctions, or in private collections, galleries, and museums in affluent first world countries. They hope that a return trip to the scene of the crime will jog your memories.'
'Events were moving too fast for a quick tally.'
Gunn nodded in understanding. 'But certain objects must have stuck in your mind, especially the outstanding pieces. What about you, Al?'
'I was busy prowling the ruins for a radio,' said Giordino. 'I didn't have time to examine the stuff.'
Pitt held his hands to his head and massaged his temples. 'I might be able to recall fifteen or twenty items that stood out.'
'Can you sketch them?'
'I'm a miserable artist, but I think I can draw reasonably accurate pictures. No need to visit the place again. I can just as well illustrate what I remember while lounging by a swimming pool at a resort hotel.'
'Sounds sensible to me,' Giordino said cheerfully.
'No,' Gunn said, 'it's not sensible. Your job goes much deeper. As much as it turns my stomach, you two middle-aged delinquents are Peruvian national heroes. Not only are you in demand with the Customs Service, the State Department wants a piece of you.'
Giordino stared at Pitt. 'One more manifestation of Giordino's list of laws. Any man who volunteers for a rescue mission becomes a victim.'
'What does the State Department have to do with us making a round trip to the temple?' Pitt demanded.
'Since the South American Free Trade Treaty, the petroleum and mining industries have been denationalized. Several American companies are currently completing negotiations to help Peru better exploit its natural resources. The country desperately needs foreign investment, and the money is ready to pour in. The catch is that labor unions and the opposition parties of the legislature are against foreign involvement in their economy. By saving the lives of sons and daughters of the local VIPs, you and Al indirectly influenced a number of votes.'
'All right, so we give a speech at the local Elks Club and accept a certificate of merit.'
'Fine as far as it goes,' said Gunn. 'But State Department experts and the Congressional Committee on Latin American Affairs think you both should hang around and make the dirty Yankees look good by helping to halt the looting of Peru's cultural heritage.'
'In other words, our esteemed government wants to milk our benevolent image for all it's worth,' said Pitt stonily.
'Something along those lines.'
'And Sandecker agreed to it.'
'Goes without saying,' Gunn assured him. 'The admiral never misses a chance to stroke Congress if it can lead to more funding for NUMA's future operations.'
'Who is going in with us?'
'Dr. Alberto Ortiz from the National Institute of Culture in Chiclayo will supervise the archaeological team. He'll be assisted by Dr. Kelsey.'
'Without reliable protection we'll be asking for trouble.'
'The Peruvians have assured us they will send in a highly trained security force to control the valley.'
'But are they trustworthy? I don't want an encore by an army of rogue mercenaries.'
'Nor me,' Giordino agreed firmly.
Gunn made a helpless gesture. 'I can only pass on what I was told.'
