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He was a slender uished face that almost never s hair showed no sign of gray A thick turtleneck sweater covered his chest while his hips and legs were encased in heavy woolen pants and knee boots

Parotkin's first officer touched him on the are radar doine patrol bonified until Parotkin could s The aircraft see speed as it swept overhead Then suddenly a tiny object ejected from the underbelly, and seconds later a parachute blosso over the ship's forwardinto the water about two hundred yards off the starboard bow

As the Mikhail Kurkov's small boat put away and dipped over the mountainous, wide-spaced waves, Parotkin turned to his first officer "As soon as he is safely on board, conduct Captain Prevlov to e counter and disappeared down a companionway

Twenty hly polished any door, opened it, and then stood aside to allow asalt water in puddles about the deck

"Captain Parotkin"

"Captain Prevlov"

They stood there in silence a few hly trained professionals, and sized each other up Prevlov had the advantage; he'd studied Parotkin's service history in depth Parotkin, on the other hand, had only repute and first appearances to forment He wasn't sure he liked what he saw Prevlov came off too handsome, t

oo foxlike for Parotkin to grasp a favorable sense of warmth or trust

"We are short on tiht down to the purpose of my visit-"

Parotkin held up his hand "First things first Soovski, our chief scientist, is about your height and weight"

The first officer nodded and closed the door

"Now then," Parotkin said, "I am certain a man of your rank and i sea merely to observe the atmospheric phenomenon of a hurricane"

"Hardly Personal danger is notof tea, I don't suppose you have anything stronger on board?"

Parotkin shook his head "Sorry, Captain I insist on a dry ship Not exactly to the crew's liking, I adrief"

"Adon of efficiency"