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"Shang's contractor built the upper level of their docks a good thirty feet higher than necessary froway to the dock froht incline"

"Could it be insurance against hurricane tides or a hundred-year flood down the river?"

"Yes, but they ne "Oh sure, there have been flood stages on the Mississippi that have reached huge heights, but not on the Atchafalaya Ground level at Sungari was raised to a level far beyond anything that nature could throw at it"

"Qin Shang wouldn't be where he is by ga with the elements"

"I suppose you're right" Montaigne finished off the Jack Daniels He waved a hand at the irand edifice to one o Look across the water Two ships in a port built to take a hundred Is that any way to run a profitable business?"

"No way that I'm aware of," said Gunn

The general rose to his feet "I should be on my way It'll be dark soon I think I'll instruct an City and tie up there for the night before heading back to New Orleans"

"Thank you, General," Gunn said sincerely "I appreciate you taking the tier"

"Not at all," Montaigne replied jovially "Now that I knohere to go for a free shot of good whiskey, rest assured, you'll see ation Anytime you require the services of the Corps, you have but to call me"

"Thank you, I will"

Long after General Montaigne returned to his survey boat, Gunn sat staring at the holographic i answers that never revealed themselves

"If you're worried about their security hassling us," said Frank Stew-art, captain of the Marine Denizen, "we can conduct our survey fros and land on both sides of the Atchafalaya, but free passage between the Gulf and Morgan City is guaranteed under maritime law"

Stewart, with brown hair cut short and slickly coht side, was a mariner from the old school He still shot the sun with his sextant and figured latitude and longitude the old-fashioned hen a quick scan of his geophysical positioning syste Slim and tall with deep-set blue eyes, he was a man without a hose mistress was the sea

Gunn stood beside the helh the wheelhouse s at the deserted port "We'd look as obvious as a wart on a movie star's nose if we anchored in the river between their docks and warehouses General Montaigne said that security around Sungari was no heavier than any other port facility on the East and West coasts If he's right, I see no reason to play cagey Let's simply call the port master and request dock space to make repairs, and work in their backyard"

Stewart nodded and hailed the port master over a satellite phone, which had all but replaced ship-to-shore radio "This is NUMA research ship Marine Denizen We request dock space to make repairs to our rudder"