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e deco rating a village thousands of miles from these fortable surroundings。〃
Sandecker stepped between them and guided Francesca back to her chair。 〃On that happy note； Dr。 Cabral； would you mind if we imposed and asked you to tell us your story from start to finish？〃
〃Not at all；〃 she replied。 〃Talking to someone about my experience has therapeutic value； and I also find myself remembering details I had forgotten。〃
Sandecker motioned for Austin to sit； then slipped into his desk chair and lit up one of the ten custom…made cigars he smoked each day。 He and Austin listened with rapt attention as Francesca narrated the gripping tale of the hijacking； the crash and her brush with death； her ascension as a white goddess。 She went into great detail about the public works projects in the Chulo village that she took so much pride in。 She ended with an account of the arrival of the Trouts； their mad flight； and their rescue by helicopter。
〃Fascinating；〃 Sandecker said； 〃absolutely fascinating。 Tell me； what became of your friend Tessa？〃
〃She stayed on with Dr。 Ramirez。 Her knowledge of medicinal plants will be invaluable in his research。 I talked by phone to my parents to make sure they are well。 They wanted me to e home； but I decided to stay in the U。S。 I need more of a depression time before I insert myself back into the Sao Paulo social whirl。 Beyond that； I am determined to carry on the task that was interrupted ten years ago。〃
Sandecker contemplated the stubborn set of Francesca's jaw。 〃I firmly believe past is not only present but also future。 It would help to know what lies ahead if you told us something about the events that led to your plane trip。〃
Francesca stared into the distance as if she could see through time。 〃It goes back to my childhood。 I became aware at a very early age that I e from a privileged background。 Even as a girl I knew I lived in a city with appalling slums。 As I grew older and traveled I learned that my city was a microcosm for the world。 Here in one place were the haves and the have…nots。 I also discovered that the difference between rich and poor nations is the earth's most plentiful substance： water。 Fresh water lubricates development。 Without water there is nothing to eat。 With out food there is no will to live； to raise one's standard of living。 Even the oil…rich countries use much of their petroleum revenues to buy or produce water。 We take it for granted that when we turn on the tap water will flow； but that will not always be the case。 The petition for water has bee greater than ever。〃
〃The U。S。 is no stranger to water disputes；〃 Sandecker said。 〃In the old days range wars were fought over water rights。〃
〃That will be nothing pared with the troubles of the future；〃 Francesca said darkly。 〃In this century wars will not be fought over oil； as in the past； but over water。 The situation is being desperate。 The world's water is strained by the population growth。 There is no more fresh water on the earth than two thousand years ago when the population was three percent of its current size。 Even without the inevitable droughts； like the cur rent one； it will get worse as demand and pollution increase。 Some countries will simply run out of water； sparking a global refugee crisis。 Tens of millions of people will flood across international borders。 It means the collapse of fisheries； environmental destruction； conflict； lower living standards。〃 She paused for a moment。 〃As people who deal with the ocean you must see the irony。 We are facing a shortage on a planet whose surface is covered two…thirds with water。〃
〃Water； water； everywhere； nor any drop to drink；〃 Austin said； quoting the Samuel Taylor Coleridge poem。
〃Precisely。 But suppose the Mariner had a magic wand could wave over a bucket of seawater； changing it into fresh。〃
〃His ship would have survived。〃
〃Now extend that analogy to millions of buckets。〃
〃The global water crisis would be over；〃 Austin said。 〃Nearly seventy percent of the world's population lives within fifty miles of the ocean。〃
〃Exactly；〃 Francesca said； her mood lightening。
〃Are you telling me you have this magic wand？〃
〃Something almost as good。 I have developed a revolutionary means to extract salt from seawater。〃
〃You must know that desalting is hardly a new concept；〃 Sandecker said。
Francesca nodded。 〃The extraction of salt from seawater goes back to the ancient Greeks。 Desalination plants have been built around the world； including many in the Middle East。 There are several methods； but all are costly。 In my doctorate I proposed a radically new approach。 I threw out all the old methods。 My goal was a process that would be efficient and cheap； available to the poorest farmer trying to scratch a living from the dust。 Think of the implications。 Water would be nearly free。 Deserts would be e centers of civilization。〃
〃I'm sure you thought of the undesirable consequences；〃 Sandecker said； 〃the fact that cheap water would stimulate development； population growth； and the pollution that goes with them。〃
〃I thought long and hard about that； Admiral Sandecker； but the alternatives were even more unpalatable。 I would make orderly development a requirement before allowing a country to use my process。〃
〃It goes without saying then that your experimentation was a success；〃 Austin said。
〃Very much so。 I was bringing a working model of the process to the international conference。 Seawater would go in one end； fresh water e out at the other。 It would produce energy and little to no waste products。〃
〃A process like that would have been worth millions of dollars。〃
〃No doubt。 I had offers that would have made me immensely rich； but I planned to give my process to the world free of charge。〃
〃That was quite generous of you。 You say you had offers。 Then someone knew of your process and plans？〃
〃Once I contacted the United Nations to attend the conference it became an open secret。〃 She paused。 〃Something has al ways puzzled me。 Many people knew about my process。 The people who tried to kidnap me would be immediately exposed if they tried to profit from my work。〃
〃There's another possibility；〃 Austin suggested。 〃Maybe they wanted to bury your work and keep the process a secret from the world。〃
〃But why would anyone try to stop a boon to humanity？〃
〃Perhaps you're too young to remember；〃 said Sandecker； who had been listening intently。 〃Years ago stories circulated about the inventor who supposedly built a car engine that could go a hundred miles on a gallon or burn water。 The details aren't important。 The oil panies reportedly bought the secret and buried it so they could continue to make profits。 The stories were apocryphal； but do you see my point？〃
〃Who would prevent the poor nations from enjoying cheap water？〃
〃Our investigations have given us an advantage over you； Dr。 Cabral。 Let me ask you a theoretical question。 Suppose you con trolled the world's supply of fresh water。 How would you greet the arrival of a process that suddenly makes cheap water avail able to all？〃
〃My process would end your theoretical water monopoly。 But this is a moot point。 It is simply not possible for someone to control the world's water。〃
Sandecker and Austin exchanged glances。
Taking over from Sandecker； Austin said； 〃A lot has been happening in the past ten years； Dr。 Cabral。 We can fill you in on the whole story later； but we've discovered that a huge pan national organization called the Gogstad Corporation is very close to acquiring a monopoly over the world's fresh water。〃
〃Impossible！〃 〃I wish it were。〃
Francesca's eyes hardened。 〃Then this Gogstad must be the one who tried to kidnap me； who stole those ten years from my life。〃
〃We have no solid proof；〃 Austin said。 〃There is certainly strong circumstantial evidence pointing in that direction。 Tell me； what do you know of a substance called anasazium？〃
Francesca's mouth dropped open in surprise。 Recovering quickly she said； 〃Is there anything you people at NUMA do not know？〃
〃Quite a bit； I'm sorry to say。 We know very little about this stuff other than the fact that it can affect the hydrogen atom in strange ways。〃
〃That's its most important property。 It's a very plex relationship。 This material is at the heart of my desalting process。 Only a few people know of its existence。 It's extremely rare。〃
〃How did you e across it？〃
〃By chance。 I read an obscure paper written by a former Los Alamos physicist。 Rather than try to improve on the existing methods of desalting； I wanted to deal with it at a molecular or even nuclear level。 A solution had eluded me until I heard about this substance。 I contacted the scientist who wrote the article。 He had a small amount of the material and was willing to part with it when I told him why I needed it。〃
〃Why is it so rare？〃
〃Several reasons。 With no apparent economic use for it； the demand was nonexistent。 Then； too； the refinement process is quite plicated。 The main ore source is in a troubled part of Africa that is constantly at war。 I had several ounces； enough for a working model。 I would have proposed that the nations of the world pool their resources to produce enough anasazium to set up pilot projects。 Working together we could have viable quantities of this substance within a short time。〃
〃Gogstad was running an installation off the coast of Mexico。 It was destroyed in a tremendous explosion。〃
〃Tell me more about this installation。〃
Austin gave her a quick summary； starting with the death of the whales。 He described the storage cylinder after the explosion and how he traced it to the flying wing。 Sandecker filled her in on the cold war mission to Siberia。
'A fantastic tale。 It's too bad about the whales；〃 she said sadly。 〃My process produces heat which can be turned into energy。 The material can be unstable and under certain circum stances bees a powerful explosive。 These people must have been trying to replicate my desalination process and were unaware of the material's instability。 Where would they have acquired the anasazium？〃
〃We don't know；〃 Austin said。 〃We are aware of a large source but don't know its exact location。〃
〃We must find it so I can resume my research；〃 Francesca insisted。
〃There's an even more important reason；〃 Sandecker interjected。
〃I know no more important reason than to continue my work；〃 she said defensively。
〃In time； Dr。 Cabral； in time。 Your work will have little meaning if Gogstad succeeds in its plans。 Whoever controls the world's water controls the world。〃
〃It sounds as if you're talking about global domination； Admiral Sandecker。〃
〃Why not？ Napoleon and Hitler failed； but their attempts were made through force of arms。 In each case they came up against somebody with a bigger stick。〃 He took a smooth puff on his cigar and watched the cloud of smoke。 〃The people protesting globalization； all that business with the World Trade Organization and the International Monetary Fund； were onto something。 The danger is not in these entities but in the i；dCt that it is easier now for someone to exert total control over a economic sector。〃
〃A sort of global Al Capone？〃 Austin offered。
〃There are similarities。 Capone was ruthless about exterminating the petition and had a fine instinct for organization。 His economic power gave him political clout。 Bootleg booze is a far cry from water。 The world can't do without water。 Those who control its flow will have the ultimate political power。 Who will stand up against someone whose word can condemn you and your country to die of thirst？ That is why I say with all due respect； Dr。 Cabral； that there are more important matters to be taken care of first。〃
〃You're right； Admiral Sandecker；〃 Francesca conceded。 〃If this Gogstad finds the main supply of anasazium； it will control my process as well。〃
〃Intelligence and beauty are such a wele bination；〃 Sandecker said with unveiled appreciation。 〃The young lady has stated my fears exactly。 It's imperative that we find that long…lost ca