Sea of Fire

'Why do you want to hide what we're doing?' Herbert asked. 'Lowell, didn't you say that earlier, Ellsworth couldn't wait to have the U.S. officially committed to this investigation?'

'I did,' Coffey said.

'That was pre-Darling,' Jelbart said. 'Any activities undertaken by those groups are part of the public record. If this proves to be a dead end, Mr. Darling must not know that he was being investigated.'

'Makes sense,' Herbert said. 'Darling's got the clout to hammer careers flat and eviscerate budgets. He could probably bring down a sitting government if he set his mind and resources to it.'

'Without question,' Jelbart agreed. 'FNO Loh agrees. Frankly, I'm uneasy even using his name in public.'

'Then we won't use it,' Herbert told him. 'How does Captain Hook strike you?'

Jelbart smiled. 'That appeals.'

'Good.' Herbert looked at Coffey as they reached the terminal. The automatic door swung in. 'You've been pretty quiet, Lowell.'

'Yes.'

'You're also straw yellow,' Herbert added.

'That, too,' Coffey admitted. 'Mr. Jelbart, you said I'd miss the swaying of the boat. I don't. I still feel as if I'm moving.'

'That's because you were sitting and lying down on the boat instead of standing,' Jelbart said. He seemed relieved to be talking about something other than Jervis Darling.

'Now you tell me.'

'I once went to a seminar on homeostasis,' Jelbart said. 'It was mandatory for personnel who serve on the land, sea, and air. We learned that the body hastens to adapt to new stimuli, like ocean roll or weightlessness for astronauts. It's akin to the survival instinct or antibodies rallying against a disease. But acclimation works best if the individual is doing what he always does in both environments: walking, talking, eating, that sort of thing.'

'What you're feeling, Lowell, is not the sway but the body's countersway,' Herbert said.

'I don't understand,' Coffey said quietly.

'What happens in a new environment is that the fight-or-flight mechanism is triggered, and adrenaline floods the bloodstream,' Herbert told him. 'When you went to sea, resources were pumped into all of your equilibrium centers. Your heart rate jumped, along with muscle strength and metabolism. It takes a while for that to return to normal. Over time, the on-off switch becomes much easier to control. Experienced seamen like Mr. Jelbart go from one to the other with no lapse at all.'

Herbert had no idea whether Coffey had heard. He was looking straight ahead and showing no expression.

'I'm impressed you knew that, Mr. Herbert,' Jelbart said.

'We got the same lecture when I joined the company years ago,' Herbert told him. 'Only they didn't call it a seminar on homeostasis. They used the acronym WYFLH.'

'What does 'wiffle' mean?' Jelbart asked.

'Why You Feel Like Hurling,' Herbert said.

Jelbart shook his head and smiled. Coffey did not react. He was too busy concentrating on putting one foot in front of the other.

The van had a civilian driver, and no one spoke about the mission during the brief ride. Jelbart informed Herbert that Darwin was the nation's gateway to Asia. The airport had recently been upgraded, and a four-billion- dollar railway had just been completed linking Darwin with Adelaide and other major cities in southern Australia. It certainly looked the part of an up-and-coming city. Downtown Darwin was more metropolitan than Herbert had imagined. Both automobile and pedestrian traffic were thick on the wide, sun-drenched avenues. Newly built towers twenty and twenty-five stories tall rose behind the thickly treed streets. Trendy, upscale stores filled the first-floor shops. It could be Cleveland or Charlotte or any other smallish metropolis in the United States.

Maybe that's one reason someone like Darling might want to shake things up, Herbert thought. Even though he had international corporations, he might not appreciate the globalization of his native land. That kind of resentment was not limited to Third World nations and radical regimes. Even the Canadians had their problems with American influence.

The van stopped in front of the Australian Central Credit Union Building. The group took the elevator to the tenth floor. They went directly to the MIC offices, where they were met by Brian Ellsworth. The solicitor was solicitous, though he lacked the rugged confidence of Warrant Officer Jelbart.

No, that isn't it, Herbert thought. Ellsworth is afraid.

They retired to a warm, sunny conference room and shut the door. Jelbart moved a chair aside, and Herbert rolled up to the circular conference table. He poured himself water and took a half sandwich from the tray in the center of the table. It was tuna salad. He took a bite and looked out the window. He could see the ocean from here. The tuna salad tasted very fresh. Maybe it was caught and made locally. This was really a small town with big-city aspirations and modern-world problems. No wonder Ellsworth was scared. On paper, there were solutions and options to twenty-first-century crises. In practice, Australians were still fighting the Japanese Eighteenth Army for New Guinea. They were strong, but not subtle. They were courageous but not patient.

Jelbart took coffee, a sandwich, and a seat. Coffey sat without eating. Ellsworth remained standing.

'Mr. Hebert has been fully briefed?' Ellsworth asked Jelbart.

'He has,' Jelbart replied.

'Except for one thing,' Herbert said. 'The whereabouts of FNO Loh.'

'She went back to the hospital for another look at the sampan wreckage,' Jelbart said. 'She will be joining us presently.'

'I see,' Herbert said. 'Do you know if she was looking for something in particular?'

'She did not say,' Jelbart replied.

'Forgive me, Mr. Herbert, but we need to move this along,' Ellsworth said. 'There are several ministers and one prime minister waiting for the outcome of our session. Warrant Officer Jelbart and I have been authorized to plan and execute a strategy for locating the missing radioactive material, as well as to gather evidence that will identify and help prosecute those who were involved in the removal and trade of said material. For obvious reasons, this strategy must be developed as quickly as possible. We are anxious for your input.'

Herbert looked at Ellsworth. 'I think I followed that,' the intelligence chief said. He took a bite of sandwich. 'There are two effective ways of doing this. One way is to set up a sting. We pose as men in the market for hot grease.'

'Hot grease?' Ellsworth said.

'Fissionable material,' Herbert said. 'The stuff that makes things pop and burn.'

'Jesus lord,' Ellsworth said.

'We try to lighten up Armageddon to keep from being chronically depressed,' Herbert admitted. 'Anyway, the problem with that option is it would take weeks to set up a credible front. We don't have that kind of time. So I'm going to suggest a quicker, less orthodox plan.'

'And that is?' Ellsworth asked impatiently.

'We smoke the bastards out,' he replied.

Chapter Forty

Darwin, Australia Saturday, 12:31 P.M.

Monica Loh stood in the hospital room, behind the lead shield, looking in. The door was shut behind her. The odor was different than the last time Loh had been there. It was musky, much less antiseptic. That was not surprising, given that the patient had been lying here since his arrival two days before. He was catheterized and taking only liquid nourishment, so there was little for nurses to do other than change his position every six hours.

The sailor was still unconscious. According to the doctor, part of that was the result of the explosion and part of it was due to the painkillers and sedatives being delivered intravenously.