"Natalie? She one of the team?"

"Yes Natalie Feltham."

There was another very long pause.

"Are you still there Tom?"

"What? Oh yes. What about the Germans. I mean could they have claim to it?" Rogerson asked, the article written by Dennis open on his desk in front of him.

"Hitler's Nazi regime you mean?"

"Technically yes. I mean they did discover it back in nineteen forty three didn't they?"

"They were all killed in the battle at Gabes or went down with the ship Tom. It's there for the taking. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity that we could never have predicted come our way. Your magazine and newspapers exclusive rights Tom."

"Just give me a minute Pete. Hold the line. I'm going to pour myself some coffee."

"Take as long as you like," Dennis said, he was sure he had almost clinched the deal.

*I've known Tom a long time,' he said to himself, *I'm sure he'll go along with it.'

He waited at the phone for a minute, then another, the waiting was agonising. Then he heard the words.

"Ok Pete you've got your money."

Peter Dennis punched the air.

"Thanks Tom. You won't regret this."

"I hope for your sake not," Rogerson replied not meaning it, "I must be mad."

"Most madmen are geniuses."

"Shut up."

"Tom you won't regret this I promise."

"Don't give me time to. Find that bloody sarcophagus, if you haven't already. Oh and Pete, you'd better fax me through everything you know or have done so far. It'll help lessen the blow when I tell my partners. I'm counting on you Pete. Don't let me down here because we've just put our heads on the blocks. I hope you understand."

"Yes Tom and thanks Tom. How soon can you arrange the money?"

"Do you have your business expenses card with you?"

Dennis reached into his jeans pocket, pulled out his wallet and saw his American express card inside.

"Yes."

"I'll contact the bank now and increase your daily amount."

"Thanks Tom."

Rogerson went to hang up then brought the phone back to his ear.

"Oh and Peter."

"Yes?"

"Good luck."

The line wnet dead. Dennis sighed with relief. Then collecting his thoughts he left his room in search of Hutchinson to break the good news.

Hutchinson broke the news to them at Dinner. He waited until they had ordered starters and mains and then tapped a knife against the side of his wine glass to gain their attention. For the first time since they'd boarded the 'Volante' Ali had been invited to join them and gratefully he had accepted. The table fell quiet as Hutchinson began.

"Earlier today I had a telephone call from my wife and with it came bad news."

Faces began looking at each other. Only Natalie continued to stare at her boss. Dennis was looking at her, waiting for a reaction, but there wasn't one.

"Our sponsors have had to withdraw their support due toa."

A chorus of groans erupted around the table.

"a.Due to financial reasons they weren't prepared to discuss, only that they send their apologiesa."

"Apologies," George said, disgusted, throwing his napkin onto the table.

"George wait until I've finished please. As I said they weren't going to discuss their reasoning with me. I did try to explain our situation but our daily costs are a drain was all they would say."

He saw the looks of bewilderment on their faces.

"Ordinarily this would mean the end of our expedition. We would close down operations leaving the find for our rivals. However I now have good news that will lift you back up as Mr Dennis will kindly explain, Peter?"

Dennis stood up.

"As Jim has said it would mean the end of your work here, and we've come so close, to lose it now anyway. I mean we have the 'Tangipito.' We know exactly where it is. Hopefully containing, as you've all said so many times over the last few weeks, the greatest find in the history of archaeology. No doubt the 'Wavecrest' has prayed for such a moment to come. I know how important it is to you, to all of you. This is what you have given your lives to, the commitment, the dedication, the sheer hard work, the devotion. And as we saw yesterday, almost your very existence. That is a very high price to pay, for anyone, for any of you, for the Germans sixty years ago who gave their lives, the sailors of the 'Tangipito, the British and Indian armies, all who lost their lives or friends, family, my grandfather who kept the story to himself until his death, to a German Colonel killed in a car crash, so many lives touched by this one single thing, a piece of stone hollowed out, the ancient Greeks, the Romans. So many stories already told. One left to tell."

They were all listening intently now.

"How we found it."

There were a few claps and a cheer.

"I couldn't let this slip from our fingers," Dennis continued, "Empires have been won and lost, built and destroyed, by what lies inside that sarcophagus. The mortal remains of the young Macedonian King."

He studied their expectant faces. Then his face burst into a smile.

"After hearing the news I telephoned my editor in London and I'm pleased, no, delighted to tell you all now that he has agreed to continue funding our daily costs."

There was a cheer from this which made the other diners stop what they were doing and stare. Dennis raised his wine glass.

"A toast. To Alexander!"

"Alexander!"

Hutchinson now stood as Dennis took his seat.

"If what Natalie saw down there is indeed the artefact we'll begin tomorrow with what is hopefully our last stage of operations. Captain Ali will now explain."

Ali didn't bother to stand, just poured himself a glass of water and began.

"This evening my crew is loading specialist equipment. Tomorrow we will use submersibles and sand vacuums. Mr Hutchinson tells me that you're all familiar with this equipment though none of you has ever lifted something the size of the sarcophagus. Well, no matter, my team will be down there with you. They will do the bulk of the work."

Ali could see disapproval in the Greek's face but George remained quiet.

"Does anyone have any questions at this point? No. Then if it's all right with you all I will begin to explain tomorrows operation."

Peter Dennis listened with only half an ear. He knew he would only be part of the bigger picture. He wouldn't be able to dive tomorrow. He would be a hindrance to the team, that he knew and it angered him. No, not anger, frustration. He studied Natalie. Her tongue was touching her lips as she listened to the Turkish Captain. Then Ali finished his briefing and Natalie made her excuses and left to use the bathroom. Dennis watched her go. She was wearing a coral pink dress that stopped above the knee. It was very pretty and Dennis enjoyed seeing her bum wiggle as she walked through the busy restaurant. A waiter carrying a bottle of wine moved politely out of her way to allow her to pass and he turned his head to watch her. Dennis saw and half smirked. He couldn't think of a single man in the world who wouldn't find her attractive. Except for maybe Hutchinson. He took his eyes off the ladies toilet door to study the American.

"I really am getting too fond of her," he said to himself, knowing it would probably never work out between them.

The group at the table were boisterous. Somebody said something to him and though he smiled he didn't actually hear the words. He realised it was Jim Hutchinson sitting next to him who had spoken.

"I'm sorry Jim what did you say?"

"I was just saying I'm looking forward to tomorrow."

"Yes. Yes of course."

But Dennis wasn't concentrating. He was watching the ladies door waiting to see Natalie reappear.

"Do you know," he said out loud, "I think I'm falling in love with her."

Dennis picked up his wine and downed it.

"What did you say?" Hutchinson asked, not sure he'd heard right.

"I said to tomorrow, a sort of toast."

The waiter arrived with a bottle of red and popped the cork. Hutchinson slapped Dennis across the shoulder in a friendly gesture as he was offered the cork to smell but he waved it away.

"Just pour my good man. My friends glass is empty."

The man stood alone in the shadows by the bridge of the 'Wavecrest'. The ship was in almost total darkness. The only lights on were in the crew's cabins. The lights on the bridge were off but the computers and radar were on leaving a faint blue-green glow that reflected in the windows.

The port of Gabes was unusually quiet. The figure could hear the water lapping against the side of the hull. He stood so still that for anyone watching his white suit they would have passed it for a different shade in the dark. He was staring fixedly across the harbour at the 'Volante' moored at her dock. The sound of dogs barking from somewhere in the town drifted across the water. A car engine started up and it moved away, the sound getting fainter. It backfired many times. The dogs fell silent.

The figure in the white suit turned at the sound of approaching footsteps on the metal stairs. He saw the huge bulk of Danilov approaching. At the top of the stairs Danilov thrust out his hand.

"The disc you asked for Herr Count."

The white suited man took the compact disc from the huge Russian.

"Thank you Danilov. That will be all."

The man in the white suit went onto the bridge alone. He loaded the CD into a computer and when a media player screen came up he clicked *play'. The soundtrack was distorted. For over an hour he used the computer's program to remove background noise. Finally he got what he wanted to hear. He replayed the soundtrack. He just couldn't quite make out the words spoken. He fine tuned some more. Now he could clearly hear the female voice. He replayed it over and over. The words registering in his brain.

"As I left the wreck I think I saw something. Jim I think it was the sarcophagus. I think we've found it."

The man dragged the cursor along to remove the first two sentences spoken. Then played it again and again and again.

"I think we've found it. I think we've found it."

He looked out of the windows at the 'Volante'. An evil, sickly smile spread across his face.

CHAPTER THIRTY NINE.

Cables trailed the small R.O.V. as it snaked its way through the wreck of the freighter *Tangipito'. On the bridge of the *Volante' Ali, Dennis, Hutchinson and Natalie watched its progress on monitor screens. Dennis was standing behind Natalie, who was seated, his hands lightly on her shoulders. She had warmed to his touch. A reaction that had not gone unnoticed by Hutchinson. He ignored it to concentrate on the screen. With the lights on the submersible they could see how murky the water was.

"We're entering the hold of the freighter now," Ali said. He pointed to a computer screen displaying a cut through diagram of the 'Tangipito' taken from the ship's original blueprints.

"It looks like they didn't have time to batten down the hatches," Dennis said.

"Or just didn't have them. Some ships don't you know, especially ones of this age."

Ali put his finger on the cut through diagram.

"We're in hold number one. This ship has aa.aa.I don't know the Englisha."

"A partition," Hutchinson added helpfully.

"A partition," the Turk continued, "The hold is divided into two. Natalie you and your team entered through the stern into this section. This is where you believe you saw what you think may be the sarcophagus."

He glanced up at her.

"Yes."

Ali maneuvered the submersible further into the hold. Bubbles were escaping from the hull and rising up. He steered through them. The R.O.V. was now met with a solid wall of debris.

"Some of this is the original cargo."

"It must have moved. Been disturbed by the recent earthquake," from Hutchinson.

"Possibly."