Deep Fathom

David swung around, angry. “I told Handel to make sure the bomb remained functioning for at least two weeks.”

“He knows, sir. He believes one of the bomb’s electrical circuits may be faulty. He says that Chink crap is not reliable.”

David stood there, almost shaking in frustration. Refusing to admit defeat, he pondered other options and angles. He knew no plan was as foolproof as on paper. Improvisation was the key to a mission’s final success. As he thought about it, a new strategy formed. “Fine. Then if Kirkland’s not back in time, we blow his ship anyway.”

“Sir?”

“Destroying his boat and killing his crew will be only our first steps in bringing Kirkland down.” As David stood in the steamy bathroom, he warmed to his new plan.

Slowly torturing Jack Kirkland did have its appeal.

8:15 P.M., Ryukyu University, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan

“Anyone for di

To her left, the tall American sat crouched over his terminal. He seemed not to have heard her. “Gabriel, let’s move on to symbols Forty A and B.”

“Certainly, Mr. Kirkland.”

On the far side of the American, Miyuki remained lost in her own work, busily sca

Karen glanced at Jack’s workstation. Two figures appeared on his screen: one from his notebook and one from their own collection of glyphs.

The American’s notebook contained only a handwritten copy of the pillar’s inscription, drawn by the historian aboard his boat. This led to a certain level of ambiguity at times. Like now. Were the two figures the same glyph, Karen wondered, or were the subtle differences just minor discrepancies on the part of the transcriber?

During this process, Gabriel had learned to compare over two hundred loci sites on each corresponding glyph. As long as there was at least a ninety percent match, it was decided that the two symbols were the same. A match ranking less than fifty percent was considered unique enough to be classified as a new symbol. This resulted in a gray zone between fifty and ninety. And so far, there were three hundred paired symbols falling into this category. Each of these required visual inspection by the trio of humans.

“Figures Forty A and Forty B,” Gabriel explained, “are a match at fifty-two percent. Will we classify A as the same or different from B?”

Jack leaned closer to the screen. “It’s like that old children’s puzzle. What’s different between these two pictures?”

Miyuki piped in as she finished the last scan and leaned back, “The first figure has an eye drawn on it, the other doesn’t.”

Jack nodded. “And the first figure is holding up two balls, the other only one.” He glanced at Karen.

Again she was struck at what a brilliant blue the man’s eyes were. They had to be contact lenses. No one had eyes that blue. “The rest looks the same,” she said, clearing her throat.

Jack asked, “So what’s the verdict, folks? Are they different enough from one another to be two separate symbols?”

Karen shifted closer to the monitor, brushing her shoulder against Jack’s. He did not move away. Instead he bowed his head beside hers, both concentrating on the screen. “I’m go

Jack nodded, satisfied with her answer. “Gabriel, please classify Figure Forty A and Figure Forty B as separate icons.”

“Done. Shall we proceed to Figures 41A and 41B?”

Karen groaned. “I don’t know about the both of you, but I’m starved and my eyes are aching. How about a couple hours rest break?”

“I guess I could use a little di

As Jack stretched, Karen tried not to notice the breadth of his shoulders or the way his neck muscles corded up. “I know a restaurant only a few blocks away. They serve the best Thai food around.”

“Sounds good. The spicier the better.”

“It’s tongue-blistering. Guaranteed.”

“Just the way I like it.”

Standing, Miyuki shooed them. “You two go on by yourselves. There’s something I’d like to try with Gabriel.”

“Are you sure?” Karen asked.

Miyuki nodded, but her eyes traveled up the tall man as he stood. Once Jack’s back was fully turned, she winked at Karen. “I’m sure,” she said to Karen with a small smile.

Karen blushed. Was her attraction to Jack so obvious? She scolded Miyuki with a consternated expression, but this only widened her friend’s smile.

“Besides, I just had Thai food,” Miyuki said louder. “But I know how many months it’s been for you.”

The double meaning was not lost on Karen. Her blush darkened. She glared at her friend as Jack called from the doorway, “Is there anything you’d like us to bring back for you, Miyuki?”

“Oh, I’m fine. I’m not the hungry one here, but you’d better get something into Karen right away.”

“Will do!” Then he was out the door.

Karen playfully swatted at Miyuki. “You are so wicked.”

“And you are so smitten. Go on. Make a move. I already checked him out. No ring, not even a girlfriend. And I think he sort of likes you, too.”

“He does not. He never even looked twice at me.”

Miyuki rolled her eyes. “Not when you would notice. It was like watching two teenagers, both of you sizing each up when the other’s back was turned.”

“He was not checking me out.”

Miyuki shrugged and turned back to her computer.

Karen touched her shoulder. “Was he really?”

“Like a lovesick puppy. Now go on. Give that puppy’s belly a rub and leave me alone for a few hours.”

“We’re only going to di

“Uh-huh.”

“We’re both professionals, colleagues in this matter.”

“Uh-huh.”

“He’s only going to be here for a couple more days.”

“Uh-huh.”

Karen grew frustrated and stormed away. “It’s only di

As she exited, Miyuki’s answer followed her. “Uh-huh.”

As they walked back from the Lucky Thai Restaurant, Jack bellowed out a laugh that had the smaller Japanese pedestrians glancing in his direction. Embarrassed, he leaned closer to Karen. “You’ve got to be kidding! You told the president of the British Anthropology Society to pull his head out of his ass?”

Karen shrugged. “He ticked me off. Him and his stick-in-the-mud ideas. What does he know about the South Pacific? My great-grandfather had traveled South Pacific islands for decades before that man was in diapers. What right did that pompous ass have in claiming my ancestor was a crackpot?”

“Oh, and I’ll bet your response set him straight. He must think your entire family is nuts. No wonder you had to come all the way to Japan to teach.”

Karen glared up at him, but Jack could tell her anger was feigned. “I wasn’t exactly expelled from Canada’s shores. I chose to come here for my own research. Colonel Churchward, my mother’s grandfather, may have jumped to some ridiculous conclusions about a lost continent in the middle of the Pacific, but I came out here to prove that much of the accepted historical dogma of this region is wrong. And with what we both have been uncovering here, I’m begi