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Pitt didn't answer He scanned the unfamiliar control panel and spotted the levers that controlled the bow and stern thrusters There was also a throttle coines

Holding his breath, Pitt set the thruster levers in the port position and pushed the throttles to full ahead

The response was aluided by an unseen hand, the engine revolutions increased Mo vibration of engines at work under his feet Now he could do little but stand and hope for the best

Above the ship, Giordino looked doith a sinking sensation Fro He saw no chance for Pitt to escape once the ship ra water ainst the incredible power of a surging sea, an impossible situation at best

"I' in for you," he apprised Pitt

"Stay clear," Pitt ordered "You can't feel it up there, but the air turbulence this close to the precipice is murderous"

"It's suicidal to wait any longer If you jump now I can pick you up"

"Like hell-" Pitt broke off in horror as the Polar Queen was caught broadside by a giant co moments she seemed to slide toward the cliff, nearer the frantic turain, her icebreaker bow burying itself under the wave, the foa from it like a horse's mane in the breeze The ship descended ever deeper as if she were continuing a voyage to the bottom far below

The torrent ca Pitt to the deck He instinctively held his breath as the icy water surged over and around hi desperately to the pedestal of the control consol

e to keep fro swept over the side into thecascade All he could see through his face mask was a billow of bubbles and foam Even in his arctic dry suit the cold felt like a ht his ar for his life

Then Polar Queen struggled up and burst through the back of the wave, her bow forging another ten ht the sea to the bitter end The water drained froe in rivers until Pitt's head surfaced into the air again He took a deep breath and tried to stare through the downpour of water that splashed back from the black rock of the cliffs God, they seemed so close he could spit on them So close that foaainst rock rebounded and fell over the ship like a cloudburst The ship was abeam of the chaos, and he eased back on the stern thruster in an attee

The bow thruster dug in and shouldered the forward part of the ship into the flood as the stern screws thrashed the water into foale away frorace of God, her boas edging out to sea

"She's co about!"

"We're not out of the woods yet" For the first ti

He warily eyed the next sequence of waves that ca in