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Loren smiled at Giordino. "There goes your love life."
"Haven't you heard? The admiral is sending me back to the ancient city on a sabbatical. He's directed me to study and record the seafaring activities of the Amenes for Hiram Yaeger's computer archives. Pat and I will be working together for the next six months."
"That leaves just you and me," said Loren, squeezing Pitt's hand.
"Not for long." Pitt brushed his lips against her hair. "I'm leaving in two weeks to head up a research project on an underwater volcano that's rising toward the water surface southeast of Hawaii."
"How long will you be?"
"No more than three weeks."
"I guess I can endure three weeks without you," Loren said, with a faint little grin.
They crossed Jefferson Drive between the traffic and walked through the entrance of the Transportation Museum. Inside, on four acres of open space, were displayed hu
ndreds of vehicles dating back to the late 1890s. They were laid out in chronological order from the early brass cars to the latest-concept cars from the auto manufacturers. Besides automobiles, every kind of conceivable vehicle was represented from manufacturers of trucks, farm tractors, motorcycles, and bicycles.
The gem of the collection was Admiral Byrd's Snow Cruiser. She sat in a gallery five feet below the main floor so the public could peer through the windows and open doors at eye level. Her new red paint and orange stripe gleamed under overhead lights, revealing the great machine in all her glory.
"They certainly did a masterful job restoring her," said Pitt quietly.
"Hard to believe," murmured Giordino, "considering how we left her."
Sandecker's gaze traveled from one end of the Snow Cruiser to the other. "A majestic piece of machinery. Remarkably modern lines for a vehicle designed nearly sixty-four years ago."
"I can't help wondering what she could do with a pair of new six hundred-horsepower turbodiesels in her gut," Giordino speculated.
"I'd have given my right arm to put her in my collection," said Pitt wistfully.
Loren looked at him. "This has to be the only time I can remember when you couldn't take home a souvenir with wheels on it from your adventures."
He gave a helpless shrug. "It belongs to the people."
They stood around for several minutes gazing at the Snow Cruiser, while Pitt and Giordino reminisced about their wild ride over the Antarctic wasteland. Then, reluctantly, they left the great vehicle and walked through the aisles, viewing the other exhibits until they reached the main entrance again.
Sandecker bent his wrist and glanced at his watch. "Well, I have to be running along."
"A hot date?" asked Giordino. It was well known that since his divorce many years before, the admiral was one of the most sought-after bachelors in town by the city's eligible ladies. Never making a commitment, he managed to adroitly keep his feminine friends happy without angering or disillusioning them.
"I'm dining with Senator Mary Conrow, and I'd hardly consider her a hot date."
"You old dog," said Loren. "Mary is a ranking member of the budget committee. You're getting cozy so you can sweet-talk her into voting an increase in NUMA's budget."
"It's called mixing business with pleasure." He gave the women a kiss on their cheeks, but didn't shake the hands of the men. He saw them on a daily basis and felt there was no call to act chummy, despite the fact that Pitt and Giordino were like sons to him.
"We're off, too," said Pat. "We promised Megan to take her out for a hamburger and a movie."
"How about dinner at my place on Friday?" Loren said, with her arm around Pat's waist.
"You're on." She turned to Giordino. "All right with you, lover?"
Giordino nodded. "Loren makes a to-die-for meat loaf."
"Meat loaf it shall be." Loren laughed.
THE sun was setting toward the horizon, growing from a small golden ball into a vast orange sphere as Pitt and Loren sat in the apartment of his hangar and enjoyed a glass of Don Julio silver tequila on the rocks while listening to music. She was nestled on the couch, leaning against him, legs curled under her.
"I never understood how women can do that," he said, between sips of his tequila.
