"Happens to the best of us."
"There's something else. I tried to use Therri to leverage your help."
"I know. I also know that Therri is too independent-minded to be used."
"I had to apologize, anyhow, before I leave."
"You sound as if you're heading off into the sunset."
"Like Shane? No, I'm not quite ready for that. I'm off to Bali in a few days to see if SOS can stop the illegal trade in sea turtles. Then I've got to help with a sea lion rescue in South Africa and see what we can do about poaching in the Galapagos Marine Reserve. In be- tween, I'll be raising funds to replace the Sentinel
"An ambitious schedule. Good luck."
"I'll need it." Ryan checked his watch. "Sorry to run, but I've got to line up the troops."
They walked back to the parking lot, where they shook hands once more.
"I understand you're seeing Therri later this week." "We're having dinner, as soon as we crawl out from our office work."
"I promise not to interrupt you the way I did back in Copen- hagen."
"Don't worry," Austin said. He glanced at the sky, a mysterious smile on his lips. "Where I'm taking Therri for dinner this time, no one will interrupt us."
41
MAY I POUR you more champagne, mademoiselle?" the waiter said.
"Thank you," Therri said with a smile. "I'd like that." The waiter refilled the fine crystal champagne glass and gave the bottle of Moot a professional twist. Then, with a click of his heels, he walked back to his station, ready to be summoned with the slightest hike of an eyebrow. He was impeccably dressed, his black hair was slicked back with shiny pomade, and a pencil-thin mustache adorned his upper lip. He possessed the perfect attitude, a bored detachment combined with undivided attention.
"He's wonderful," Therri whispered. "Where did you get him?" "Straight from the Orient Express," Austin said. Seeing the doubt in Therri's face, he added, "I confess. I borrowed him from NUMA food services. He worked as a maTtre d' at La Tour d'Argent in Paris before Sandecker hired him away to organize the NUMA dining room.
"He's done an outstanding job organizing our dinner," she said. They were sitting at a table for two. The tablecloth was white starched linen. The dishes and silverware were Art Deco. Dress was formal. Therri wore a knockout strapless black evening dress, and Austin had replaced the tux he'd ruined in the Washington dogsled race. She nodded in the direction of a string quartet that was play- ing Mozart in the background. "I suppose the musicians are from the National Symphony Orchestra."
Austin's mouth widened in a sheepish grin. "They're friends from the NUMA engineering division who get together on weekends. Quite good, aren't they?"
"Yes. And so was dinner. I don't know who your chef was, but-" She paused, catching the look in Austin's eye. "Don't tell me. The chef was NUMA, too."
"No. He's a friend of mine, St. Julien Perlmutter. He insisted on cooking for us tonight. I'll introduce you later."
She sipped her champagne, and her mood grew somber. "I'm sorry, but I can't help thinking from time to time of Dr. Barker and the monstrous creatures he created. It seems like a nightmare."
"I wish it were a bad dream. Barker and his pals were very real. So were his Frankenfish."
"What a strange, terrible man he was. I suppose we'll never know how someone so brilliant could become so evil."
"All the more amazing when you consider that his ancestor, from all accounts, was a decent human being. The original Frederick Barker saw that the Eskimos were starving and tried to stop his fel- low whaling captains from killing walrus."
"His genes must have been twisted during their passage from gen- eration to generation," she said.
"Add a little God syndrome into the genetic stew and you get a mad scientist who fancies himself the personification of an evil spirit."
"It's ironic, isn't it?" she said, after a moment's thought. "Barker was a product of genes gone wrong. It was precisely the process he used in his laboratory to create monsters from normally docile fish. I shudder every time I think of those poor deformed creatures." An anxious look came to her eyes. "This is the end of that insane re- search, isn't it?"
Austin nodded. "Barker was a true genius. He wrote nothing down. He kept the notes for his genetic tinkering stored in his head. That knowledge died with him."
"Still, it wouldn't prevent someone else, equally as brilliant, from duplicating his work."
"No, but the loopholes in the law will soon be closed. Biofish will not be allowed into the U.S. The Europeans are equally determined that Frankenfish and chips will never be on their menu. Without a market, there's no incentive."
"What about the others in the Kiolya tribe?"
"Arrested, dead or on the run. Without Barker to whip them into a murderous frenzy, I'd say it's the end of that bunch as a threat. Barker's holdings are up for grabs. The wolves are tearing his giant corporation to pieces. Now let me ask you a question. What's the fu- ture hold for you and SOS?"
"We're parting ways. I've decided that commando raids aren't my style. I've been offered a staff position as environmental counsel with Senator Graham."
"Glad to hear you'll be around."
The waiter carried a black telephone over to the table. "Mr. Zavala would like to talk to you," he said.
Joe's voice came on the line. "Sorry to interrupt dinner. I thought you should know that we're going to start to make the approach soon.
"Thanks for the heads-up. How long do we have?"
"Enough for one very long dance."
Austin smiled and hung up. "That was Joe calling from the con- trol car. We'll be landing soon."
Therri stared out the large observation window at the tapestry of lights far below. "It's beautiful. I'll never forget this night. But please tell me how you wrangled the use of the zeppelin for a dinner date?"
"I had to pull a few strings. The Germans are anxious to reclaim the first airship to have landed on the North Pole. When I heard the zeppelin was being flown from Canada to Washington, I offered the services of an experienced pilot, and in return reserved the din- ing room for a few hours. It seemed the only way we could have din- ner undisturbed." He looked at his watch. "The pilot says we have time for one dance."
"I'd love to."
They rose from the table and Austin offered his arm, and they strolled into the dimly lit lounge. Austin turned on a record player, and the mellow tunes of the Glenn Miller band flowed from the speaker. "Thought we should have a little period music."
Therri was staring out the observation window at the lights of the great East Coast megalopolis. She turned and said, "Thank you for an exceptional evening."
"It's not over yet. After we land, we can have a nightcap at my place. Who knows where the evening will lead ?"
"Oh, I know exactly where it will lead," she said with a dreamy smile.
He took her in his arms, inhaling the scent of her perfume, and high above the earth, they danced among the stars.
The End
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White Death nf-4 Page 36
