It after da. t various points on tructures. I counted forty destroyers, four ligwo he river.
I aboard as t reaciced a pair of jeans floating on ter, stiff . I abandoned my small outboard and jumped for troyer.
ts and some pieces of special equipment ed of plastic feeling . I called out. quot;;
Be formation -- ter, tly placed in relation to ten to ts.
traffic on ter; t strange.
It six-ty; ttle. I decided to climb to tered t took tried to turn it a point or tally; it was locked in place.
A man entered from troom beely o me and removed my he wheel.
it seemed more a ste unimpressive: dark rong nose, good mouto be in e fifties. ered troom. I followed him.
quot;May I ask w;
quot;Mot,quot; he supplied.
quot;-- is bound?quot;
ansion. a c.
quot;If its a matter of sealed orders or somet;
quot;No no,quot; looking up. quot;Not.quot; t;A bit careless tle boat, arent you?quot;
t;Not normally. On trary. But somet;
quot;Of course,quot; ;You icipated. ladder secured?quot;
I t about t. I decided to s tion slightly.
quot;Are t;
quot;No,quot; ed my s ther ships.
quot;Radio?quot; I asked. quot;Remote control or somet;
quot;Somet,quot; he said.
ty destroyers, four ligion to one. I wo years as a supply officer in New London, principally.
quot;Is test of some kind?quot; I asked. quot;Ne or --quot;
quot;Youre afraid t arget practice? ; arily amused.
quot;No. But ss on t;
quot;It ,quot; of troom and seated s in front of the bridge windows. I followed him.
quot;May I ask your rank?quot;
quot; ask my name?quot;
quot;All rig;
quot;I am t;
I looked again at ed no suching.
quot;Objectively,quot; ly.
quot;My name is --quot; I began.
quot;I am not interested in your name,quot; ;I am only interested in your be my disposal forty-seven brigs, of able. Not t I believe you t, I you to do to t of coffee. Make sandled back in and regarded the calm, even sea.
quot;All rig; I said. quot;Yes.quot;
quot;You ; ed me.
quot;Yes, sir.quot;
I troyer until I found turned o the bridge.
t;Admiralquot; drank ly. Seabirds made passes at t ic material t enclosed tallations.
quot; is t stuff used for t; I asked.
quot;Its a polyvinylcion ate,quot; ;Its sprayed on and to cut it open youd find inside, around t, four or five small clotaining silicate of soda in crystals, to absorb moisture. A very neat system. It does just s supposed to do, keeps t good as ne;
of mustard e coat, again t resembled not an admiral but a man from whom one would order drinks.
quot; is your mission?quot; I asked, determined not to be outfaced by a man ard on .
quot;to be at sea,quot; he said.
quot;Only t?quot;
quot;t,quot; ;t of ss, building tters, tricians, naval arcects, people in t. ts bottle of ced ribbons t sailors coming aboard, trials, tains for s ory. ticular ss leaving t tigervals, t engagement, taken. t over tory o three hundred some-odd very large volumes.
quot;And t; ;too a depot in Neing plastic substance. t moored next to ots class, painted, yes, at scimes, by a creers is to paint ternally, finiso t and back to t again five years later. atcc, no doubt knocking off a little copper pipe ;
quot;tockpiled against a possible neional emergency,quot; I said. quot; on eart?quot;
quot;I oga,quot; ; my age.quot;
quot;But entions?quot;
quot;I am taking t; he said.
quot;You are stealing forty-seven s of ted States?quot;
quot;t; ;Six submarines of t;
quot;But w;
quot;Remember t I ely, if I may say so, in accord ever t ted ticipated in trays and ables. I nessed time, I discovered t tently. ito take tice.quot; ;No me?quot;
quot;More t;
quot;Good.quot; elegrapo Full Ahead.