The 34th Degree

129

“ Direct hit!” shouted Prestwick from behind the Cherub ’s periscope. “She’s sinking like lead.”

Erin, who was standing behind Prestwick and Safire in the conning tower, pried Prestwick loose from the scope and had a look. The forward bow of the Nausicaa was pointing straight up to the sky. It would be only a matter of minutes before the submarine sank beneath the surface. She felt sick with worry for Andros. “Wait a minute,” she said. “I see something floating in the water.”

“Quick, let me see.” Safire took the scope, paused as he looked, and snapped his head back. “Surface immediately!” he ordered the crew. “We’ve got a survivor.”

The Cherub ’s crew began to empty the ballasts, and slowly the submarine began to rise. Ten minutes later, they brought her on board, Aphrodite Vasilis, chilled to the bone and crying.

The crew stood at attention while Aphrodite climbed down the conning tower into the control room. Erin could tell that one look at her was enough to convince Safire and every rating aboard that mankind owed Andros a debt of gratitude for rescuing such a heavenly creature.

“Christos,” she sobbed. “He’s on that submarine.”

“Good God!” said Prestwick. “You mean he’s alive?”

Aphrodite, wet and trembling, was nodding when the signal officer came into the control room with a message for Safire.

“According to the radio traffic, sir, there’s a flotilla of ships coming out from Mandraki Harbor.”

Safire nodded grimly. “Helmsman,” he ordered, “prepare to dive.”

“But Christos!” shouted Aphrodite. “You can’t let him die!” She turned to Erin. “You can’t let him die!”

Erin could see the pain in Aphrodite’s twisted face. It was a pain they shared. “Let’s get you dry,” she told her. “Colonel Prestwick here will take you to the captain’s quarters, where you can rest up.”

“What about Christos?” Aphrodite asked desperately.

“I’ll do everything I can,” Erin promised, even though she realized there was very little she could do.

The dazed girl could only nod as Prestwick helped her up and escorted her out of the control room.

When they were gone, Erin turned to Safire. “May I take another look through the scope?”

“You can look. But I’m afraid it won’t do you much good.”

Erin climbed up into the conning tower and put her eyes to the periscope in time to see the bow of the Nausicaa slip below the surface of the water. What had become of the Baron, she didn’t know. But of Andros there could be no doubt: He was dead. And with him was an atomic bomb. They were on their way to the bottom of the Ionian Sea.

When she descended into the control room, Prestwick, Safire, and the crew were waiting for her.

“Well?” Prestwick asked, pausing for her to tell them what they already knew.

She swallowed hard, and without a word, she walked out of the control room and down the passageway to the captain’s quarters.

Aphrodite was sitting on the bunk, shivering in her navy blanket, sobbing uncontrollably. Then Erin saw the empty blue box from Tiffany amp; Co. on the desk and looked at the diamond ring Aphrodite had slipped on her finger.

“Oh, Christos,” Aphrodite cried. “You did love me.”