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Abruptly； the light from above faded and he swam into a dark hole。 His head broke the surface just inside the flexible sleeve； called a skirt； that contains the cushion of air and suspends the hovercraft。 He floated for several moments； his chest heaving； his arms too numb to move； while he regained his strength and studied the interior of the skirt。 Of the three types fitted to hovercraft； this one was called a bag skirt； consisting of a rubber tube that encircled the hull and when inflated served to contain the air cushion while providing lift。 He also recognized that this hovercraft used an aluminum propeller as a lift fan to inflate the bag tube and feed air into the cushion。
As Pitt reached down to pull his dive knife out of its sheath strapped to his leg to begin slicing holes in the rubberized fabric； his moment of victory was snatched away by the sound of the starter motors as they began to turn over the engines。 Then the propeller's blades started to spin； their speed increasing with every revolution。 The skirt began to flare； and the water inside was whipped into a maelstrom。 Too late to slash the rubber cushion and prevent the craft from moving。
Out of irreversible despair； he unsnapped the buckle to his air tank's backpack； spit out the breathing regulator and pulled the tank up and over his head。 Then； in one movement； he thrust it upward into the spinning lift propeller and ducked under the skirt as it was starting to inflate。 The propeller blades struck the tank and shattered。 It was an act born of desperation。 Pitt knew he had gambled recklessly and pushed his luck too far。
The disintegration of the propeller as its blades struck a solid； ungiving object was followed by a hurricane of metal shards that ripped through the walls of the rubber skirt like shrapnel from a bomb。 Then came a second； more massive explosion as the tank's walls were penetrated and it burst from the sudden release of eighty cubic feet of air pressurized at three thousand pounds。 Not content to be left out； the fuel tanks added to the cataclysm by erupting in a blazing conflagration that sent a firestorm into the air and fiery particles of the hovercraft flying onto the roof of the plantation house and quickly setting the wooden structure ablaze。
Giordino was stunned in horror as he watched the hovercraft lift out of the water and then violently shred itself into a thousand flaming fragments。 Bodies spun through the air like drunken circus acrobats and splashed into the water with the inert stiffness of mannequins dropped from a helicopter。 The windows of the plantation house were blown into jagged shards。 The explosion rumbled over the surface of the canal and struck Giordino's exposed face like a punch thrown by the gloved fist of a boxer。 A waterspout of fiery fuel enveloped the hovercraft； and when it fell away and the spray had scattered into the night； the burning remains of the craft were sinking into the waters of the canal amid a great hiss of steam and dark smoke that swirled and quickly became lost in the black sky。
In growing fear； Giordino frantically paddled the skiff toward the shattered wreckage。 Reaching the outer perimeter of the burning debris； he strapped on his air tank and rolled into the canal。 Lit by a field of flames on the surface； the water beneath took on a look of eerie candescence； ghostly and threatening。 In a strange kind of restrained frenzy； he searched through the mangled remains of the hovercraft； tearing aside the shreds of the skirt and probing underneath。 He was still dazed with shock as he desperately tried to find the body of his friend。 He groped about the shambles created by Pitt； and his hands touched what remained of a man； stripped of his clothing； a sliced and gutted thing with no legs。 One black eye； wide open and unseeing； was all he required to know it wasn't Pitt。
He fought off a sickening fear that it seemed impossible anyone could have survived that holocaust。 He searched un…availingly； hopelessly； for some sight of a living body。 God； where is he？ Giordino cried in his mind。 He began to feel beyond weary in his bones and was almost ready to give up in despair when something reached out of the darkness of the muck below him and grabbed his ankle。 Giordino experienced an icy chill of panic that gave way to disbelief when he felt the hard grip of a living human。 He spun around and saw a face leering at him； green eyes squinting to see through the liquid gloom； blood flowing from the nose and dissolving in the water。
As if risen from the dead； Pitt's lips tightened in a crooked little grin。 His wet suit was in tatters and the dive mask had been torn from his head； but he was alive。 He pointed up； released his hold on Giordino's ankle and kicked toward the surface a short five feet away。 They broke the surface at the same time； Giordino grasping Pitt around the shoulders in a great bear hug。
〃Damn you！〃 Giordino shouted。 〃You're alive。〃
〃Damn me if I'm not；〃 Pitt came back； laughing。
〃How in God's name did you do it？〃
〃Dumb luck。 After I heaved my air tank into the hovercraft's lift propeller and dove under the skirt； a stupid move by the way； I got no farther than eight feet when the tank exploded。 The explosion blew outward and the resulting blast from the fuel tanks burst upward。 I was unscathed until the concussion tore into me。 I was blown into the muddy bottom； which cushioned my impact。 It was a miracle my eardrums didn't burst。
My ears are still ringing。 I ache in places I didn't know existed。 Every square inch of my body must be black…and…blue。 Things went vague and woolly。 I was knocked silly for a few moments but quickly recovered when I sucked on my regulator mouthpiece and found only my tongue along with a gush of swamp water。 Gagging and retching； I made for the surface and floated around while pulling my mind and body together until I saw your air bubbles trail by。〃
〃I thought for sure you bought the farm this time；〃 said Giordino。
〃Me too；〃 Pitt agreed。 He gingerly fingered his nose and a split lip。 〃Something struck my face when I was mashed into the canal bed…〃 He broke off and made a grimace。 〃Broken； my nose is broken。 First time ever。〃
Giordino nodded his head at the devastation； the plantation house that had bee a blazing inferno。 〃Did you ever determine which side of the family passed on your uncanny knack for causing destruction？〃
〃No pyromaniac ancestors that I know of。〃
Three security guards were still alive； one crawling away from the house； smoke curling from smoldering holes in the back of his uniform； the second lying dazed on the edge of the bank； weaving back and forth； his hands cupped to ears whose eardrums had burst。 Four bodies floated in the flame…lit waters。 The rest of the security force had disappeared。 The third living guard stood in shock； staring dumbly at the shattered wreckage of the hovercraft with blood from a gash across one cheek flowing down his neck and dyeing his shirt crimson。
Pitt swam to the bank； came to his feet and walked ashore。 The guard stared wide…eyed at the black…suited apparition from the canal as if he was an alien creature