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"Dr. Northrop. I've often heard Admiral Sandecker speak of you," said Pitt pleasantly.
"In glowing terms, I hope," Northrop said, laughing.
"As a matter of fact, he never forgave you for filling his boots with ice during an expedition north of the Bering Sea."
"Jim certainly holds a grudge. That was fifteen years ago."
"You've spent quite a number of years in the Arctic and Antarctic."
"Been studying sea ice for eighteen years. By the way, I volunteered to go with you."
"Don't think me ungrateful, but I'd rather go it alone."
Northrop nodded and held his ample stomach with both hands.
"Won't hurt to have a good man along who can read the ice, and I'm more durable than I look."
"You make a good point."
"Bottom coming up," Gillespie announced. Then he called down to the engine room. "All stop, Chief.
This is as far as we go." He glanced in Pitt's direction. "We're sitting on top of the latitude and longitude you gave me."
"Thank you, Dan. Good work. This should be the approximate spot where the Paloverde was frozen in the ice during the Antarctic winter of 1858"
Northrop stared through the bridge windows at the ice spreading from the ship to shore. "I make it about two miles. A short hike in the brisk air will do us good."
"You have no snowmobiles on board?"
"Sorry, our work takes place within a hundred yards of the ship. We saw no need to add luxuries to the project budget."
"What temperature do you consider brisk air?"
"Five to ten degrees below zero. Relatively warm in these parts."
"I can't wait," Pitt said laconically.
"Consider yourself lucky it's autumn down here. It's much colder in spring."
"I prefer the tropics, with warm trade winds and lovely girls in sarongs swaying to the beat of a drum under the setting sun."
His eyes traveled to an attractive Asian lady who walked straight up to him. She smiled and said, Àre
n't you being overdramatic?"
"It's my nature."
"I'm told you're Dirk Pitt."
He smiled cordially. "I do hope so. And you must be Evie Tan. Dan Gillespie has told me you're doing a photo story about the ice expedition."
"I read a great deal about your exploits. May I interview you when you return from whatever it is you're looking for?"
Pitt instinctively threw a questioning look at Gillespie, who shook his head. "I haven't told a soul about your target."
Pitt pressed her hand. "I'll be happy to give you an interview, but the nature of our project must be off the record."
"Does it have to do with the military?" she asked, with an innocent face.
