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den shrine shows that he has bee bolder。 He is obviously exploiting the questions raised by your arrival。 We must get back to the palace。〃
As they left the shrine the guards materialized from the forest and took their places alongside。 Francesca walked briskly； and they were back at the pound within minutes。 Something was different inside the stockade fence。 Knots of Indian men stood around。 They averted their eyes when the procession passed。 There were no friendly smiles as on the way out。
About twenty armed warriors were gathered in front of the palace with Alaric at their center。 They parted with sullen looks at a wave of Francesca's hand； but Gamay noticed that they took their time doing it。 Tessa greeted them inside the door。 Her eyes were wide with fright。 She and Francesca talked in their language for a minute； then the white goddess translated for the Trouts。
〃The priests have made a decision。 You're to be killed in the morning。 They'll spend the night getting their courage up and building the pyres to burn you。〃
Gamay's mouth hardened。 〃Sorry we can't stay for the barbecue；〃 she said。 〃If you would point us to the nearest canoe； we'll be saying good…bye。〃
〃Impossible！ You wouldn't get ten feet now。〃
〃Then what do we do？〃
Francesca mounted her dais and sat on her throne； her eyes glued to the chamber door。 〃We wait；〃 she said。
Chapter 20
The ancient ship hung in space as if suspended from invisible cables； its multi…decked hull outlined by shimmering spiderweb lines of gossamer blue。 The great square sails were bowed full； and ghostly pennants fluttered at the masthead as if tossed by a freshened breeze。
Hiram Yaeger leaned back in his chair and studied the spectral image hovering over a platform in front of his horseshoe shaped console。 〃It's beautiful； Max；〃 he said； 〃but the detail needs sharpening。〃
A soft and disembodied feminine voice filled the room from a dozen speakers set in the walls。 〃You only asked for a blue print； Hiram。〃 There was the hint of petulance in the tone。
〃That's right； Max；〃 Yaeger said； 〃and you've gone far be yond that。 But now I'd like to see how close we can get to the finished product。〃
〃Done；〃 said the voice。
The ship's hull solidified like a specter materializing from ectoplasm。 Its hull blazed with gold that highlighted the elaborate carvings covering the sides from stem to stern。 Yaeger's eyes lingered on the beak head； crowned by a wooden image of King Edgar； the hoofs of his charger trampling the seven fallen monarchs whose shorn beards bordered his mantle。 Then he studied the astronomical panels that represented the glories of the
Olympic gods； going back to the high stern； embellished with biblical figures。 Every detail was perfect。
〃Wow！〃 Yaeger said。 〃You didn't tell me you had programmed the full picture。 All it needs now is a couple of dolphins。〃
Instantly； simulated seas appeared under the ship； and at her bow a pair of dolphins leaped and splashed。 The three…dimensional image spun slowly as the whistles and twitters of the dolphins filled the air
Yaeger clapped his hands and laughed like a child with de light。
〃Max； you're brilliant！〃
〃I should be；〃 the voice replied。 〃You created me。〃
Not only had Yaeger created the vast artificial intelligence system； but he had programmed his own voice into the original program。 He didn't like talking to himself； so he modified it into Max's female tones。 The puter system had developed a feminine personality all on its own。
〃Flattery will get you everywhere；〃 Yaeger said。
〃Thank you。 If you're through I'll take a break to allow my circuits to cool down。 Holograms always exhaust me。〃
Yaeger knew Max was prone to exaggerate and that the ship represented only a tiny fraction of the capacity in her circuits。 But along with a feminine version of his own voice； he had programmed in some human traits； including the need to be appreciated。 He waved his hand。 The ship； the roiling seas； the leaping dolphins vanished in a blink of the eye。
Yaeger turned to the sound of applause and saw Austin standing there clapping his hands。
〃Hi； Kurt；〃 he said with a grin。 〃Have a seat。〃
〃Quite a show；〃 Austin said； easing into a chair next to Yaeger。 〃Right down to the vanishing act。 I doubt even David Copperfield could make a full…blown English capital ship disappear。〃
Yaeger was truly a magician； but his sleight of hand was per formed with puters rather than a top hat and wand。 He was an unlikely…looking magus； dressed with a studied scruffiness in Levi's jeans and denim jacket over a plain white T…shirt。 Beat…up cowboy boots adorned his feet。 Yet he presided like a master sorcerer over the vast puter network that covered nearly the en tire tenth floor of the NUMA building。 The National Underwater & Marine Agency oceans center stored and processed the most enormous amount of digital data on oceanography and related sciences ever assembled under one roof。
〃That was nothing；〃 he said with boyish delight。 Excitement danced in the gray eyes behind wire…rimmed granny glasses perched on his narrow nose。 〃Wait until you see the treat Max and I have planned for you。〃
〃I can hardly wait。 That was Sovereign of the Seas？〃
〃Right。 Launched in 1637 at the orders of Charles I。 One of the largest seagoing vessels constructed up to that time。〃
'Also one of the most top…heavy； as I recall。 She had her top deck cut down； which was appropriate； given that Charles lost his head。〃
〃I'll add the modifications later。 The new program will be available for the nautical archaeology department of any university that wants it。 Max has been making a list of hundreds of old vessels。 We feed their plans； architect's renderings； dimensions； history； everything we know about a vessel； into the puters。 Max pulls it all together into a holographic reconstruction。 She'll even fill in missing details when information is inplete。 Max； would you mind telling Kurt what you found with the material he gave us？〃
The face of a lovely woman appeared on the huge monitor just beyond the platform。 Her lips parted in a white smile。
〃I'd e off my coffee break any time for Mr。 Austin；〃 the voice said flirtatiously。
The air above the platform shimmered with blue light at the nexus of lasers scattered in the walls。 Stud by stud； beam by beam； but with lightning speed； the flashing lasers assembled a long open ship with a single square sail。
〃C'mon。〃 Yaeger got up； and they walked onto the platform。 Austin's vision blurred for a second。 When it cleared they were
standing on the deck of the vessel looking toward the gracefully upturned bow。 Circular wooden shields adorned the sides。
〃This is the next evolution in the program。 Not only will you be able to see the ships in our inventory； you'll be able to walk around on the decks。 The virtual perspective changes as you move。 The simplicity of design made this one fairly easy。 〃
〃I'd say I'm standing on the deck of the Gogstad ship。〃
〃Correct。 Built in Norway between A。D。 700 and 1000。 The original ship was seventy…nine feet long and was constructed entirely of oak； something a bit more substantial than light beams。 This is a half…scale model。〃
〃It's beautiful；〃 Austin said； 〃but what does it have to do with the material I gave you？〃
〃I'll show you what I found。〃
They walked through the shimmering walls back to the con sole。
〃It wasn't hard getting some data on the Mulholland Group；〃 Yaeger said。 〃As your dead lawyer friend told you； the pany is involved in hydraulic projects。 I had to dig around； but I found that it was part of a larger corporation called Gogstad。 The logo of the parent pany is the ship you see be fore you。〃 The hologram disappeared； and a stylized version of the ship appeared on the monitor。
〃Tell me more。〃
〃I asked Max to start playing around with Gogstad。 I didn't get much on the pany； but apparently it's a huge trans national corporation involved in all kinds of stuff。 Finance。 Engineering。 Banking。 Construction。〃
He handed Austin a puter disk。 〃This is what I found Nothing startling。 I'll keep trying。〃
〃Thanks； Hiram。 I'll review it。 In the meantime I've got an other favor to ask of you and Max。〃 He related his visit to the Garber center and his interview with the pilot's son。 〃I'd like to know if this plane was ever built and what happened to the I pilot。〃
Max had been attentive again。 A photograph of a large wing shaped craft appeared on the screen。
〃This is a picture from the Smithsonian files of the YB…49A； the last Northrop flying wing bomber to take to the air；〃 the low voice purred。 〃I can give you a three…D rendering； like the ships。〃
〃This is fine for now。 The designation etched on the cylinder was YB…49B。〃
The photograph was replaced by a drawing。 〃This is the YB 49B；〃 Max said。
〃What's the difference between this model and the one you just showed us； Max？〃
〃The designers ironed out the oscillation problem that bothered the bombardiers。 In addition it would have flown faster and farther than the earlier model。 It was never built。〃
Austin knew better than to argue with Max。 Instead； he watched the statistical and performance figures roll under the picture。 Something in the data bothered him。
〃Wait；〃 he said。 〃Go back。 See there； it says the cruising speed was five hundred and twenty…five miles per hour。 How would they have known the speed if they hadn't conducted field trials？〃
〃It may be an estimate？〃 Yaeger ventured。
〃Maybe。 But it doesn't say that it's estimated。〃
〃You're right。 They would have to have conducted field trials back then because they didn't have smart machines like Max to simulate flying conditions。〃
〃Thank you for the pliment； although it does state the obvious；〃 Max said。 〃Kurt has a point； Hiram。 While you were talking I checked and found that in every instance where a plane was designed but not actually built； its speed was estimated。 Except for this one。〃
Yaeger knew better than to argue with Max。 〃It seems that maybe this plane did exist？ But what happened to it？〃
〃This may be as far as we get for now；〃 Austin said。 〃The Northrop and Air Force records were lost。 What can Max tell us about the pilot； Frank Martin？〃
〃Do you want the quick economy search or the full…blown probe？〃 Max asked。
〃What's the difference？〃
〃The quick tour goes to the Pentagon's armed services registry； which contains the name of everyone； living or dead； who served in the armed forces。 The full monte digs additional information from the Pentagon's classified files。 I'll throw in the National Security Council； the FBI； and the CIA just for ha…has。〃
〃This is a mere technicality； but isn't it illegal to hack into those databases？〃
〃Hack is such an ugly word；〃 Max said。 〃Let's say I'm simply paying social calls on fellow puter systems so we can ex change gossip。〃
〃In that case； do all the socializing you want to；〃 Austin said。
〃Interesting；〃 Max said after a moment。 〃I've tried to open several doors； but in every case Harry has put a lock on them。〃
〃Who's Harry； another puter？〃 Yaeger said。
〃No； silly。 Harry Truman。〃
Austin scratched his head。 〃Are you saying that all the files on this pilot were sealed by order of the president？〃
〃That's right。 Aside from the most basic information about Mr。 Martin； everything else is still classified。〃 There was an un characteristic pause。 〃That's peculiar；〃 Max said。 〃I just got a trace。 It was as if someone opened a door that was locked。 Here's your boy。〃 A picture of a young man in an Air Force uniform appeared。 〃He lives in upstate New York near Coopers town。〃
〃He's still alive？〃
〃There seems to be some disagreement on that。 The Pentagon says he died in a plane crash in 1949。 This new information says just the opposite。〃
〃A mistake？〃
〃I wouldn't be surprised。 Humans are fallible。 I'm not。〃
〃Does he have a phone？〃
〃No。 But I have an address。〃
A printout came out of a slot