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momentum propelled her forward and she leaped ahead； as if grinding her guts out over the concrete wall until all four wheels were on the grass of the Mall again。
Only at that instant did the engine begin to miss。 Almost like a golden retriever exiting a river with a bird in its mouth； the Duesenberg shuddered； shook herself free of the water that filled her body； and limped ahead。 After only a hundred yards the fan behind the radiator and the heat from the engine worked in unison to blow…dry the water that had splashed and shorted four of her spark plugs。 Soon； she began hitting on all eight cylinders again。
Julia came up off the floor sputtering and peered over the back of the car at the van speeding away under pursuit by four police cars。 She wrung the water from the hem of her dress and ran her fingers through her hair in a vain attempt to look presentable。 〃I'm a mess。 My dress and coat are ruined。〃 She looked at Pitt with a look of pure anger。 Then her expression softened。 〃If you hadn't saved my life for the second time hi as many weeks； I'd make you buy me a new outfit。〃
He turned to her and smiled as he set the Duesenberg on a course down Independence Avenue and across the Memorial Bridge toward the Washington National Airport and his hangar。 〃Tell you what。 If you're a good girl； I'll take you to my place； dry your clothes and warm you up with a cup of coffee。〃
Her gray eyes were soft and unblinking。 She laid a hand on his arm and murmured。 〃And if I'm a naughty girl？〃
Pitt laughed； partly from the relief of escaping another death trap； partly from seeing Julia's bedraggled appearance and partly because she was trying without success to cover the parts of her body that were revealed through the wet dress。 〃Keep talking like that and I'll skip the coffee。〃
SUNLIGHT WAS SLIDING OVER THE SILLS OF THE SKYLIGHTS when Julia slowly pushed aside the mist of sleep。 She felt as if she was floating； her body totally weightless。 It was a pleasurable sensation left over from the ardor of the night。 She opened her eyes； shifted her mind into gear and began studying her surroundings。 She found herself lying alone。 The bed was king…size and sat in the middle of a room that looked like the captain's cabin from an old sailing ship； plete with mahogany…paneled walls and a small fireplace。 The furnishings； including the dressers and cabinets； were nautical antiques。
Like most women； Julia was curious and intrigued about male bachelor apartments。 She felt that the opposite gender could be read by their surroundings。 Some men； ladies observed； lived like pack rats and never cleaned up after themselves； creating and preserving strange alien life…forms in their bathrooms and inside their refrigerators。 Making beds was as foreign as processing goat cheese。 Their laundry was piled beside and over washers and dryers that still had the instruction booklets attached to the knobs。
And then there were the neatness freaks who lived in an environment only a decontamination scientist could love。 Dust； food scraps and toothpaste droppings were all furiously attacked and energetically eliminated。 Every piece of furniture； every object of decor； was positioned with precision； never to migrate。 The kitchen would have passed a white…glove inspection by the most diligent of sanitation inspectors。
Pitt's apartment was somewhere in between。 Tidy and uncluttered； it had a masculine casualness about it that appealed to the women who visited occasionally rather than frequently。 Julia could see that Pitt was a man who preferred to live in the past。 There was nothing modern in the entire apartment。 Even the brass plumbing fixtures in the bathroom and kitchen seemed to have e out of some old passenger liner that once traveled the seas。
She rolled over on her side and stared through the doorway into the living room； where shelves on two walls were filled with delicately built ship models of wrecks that Pitt and his NUMA crew had discovered and surveyed。 The remaining walls held dockyard builders' half models and four seascape paintings by Richard DeRosset； a contemporary American artist； of nineteenth…century steamships。 There was a feeling of fort about the apartment； not the formal and grandiose atmosphere produced by an interior decorator。
Julia soon came to realize that Pitt's home made no allowances for a woman's touch。 It was the sanctuary of an intensely private man who adored and admired women but who could never be fully controlled by them。 He was the kind of man women were drawn to； had wild adventures and amorous affairs with； but never married。
She smelled coffee ing from the kitchen but saw no sign of Pitt。 She sat up and set her bare feet on a wood…plank floor。 Her dress and underwear were neatly hung in an open closet； dried and pressed。 She padded across the plank floor into the bathroom and smiled at herself in the mirror when she found a tray with an unopened new toothbrush； women's moisturizers； bath gels； body oils； makeup accessories and an assortment of feminine hairbrushes。 Julia could not help but wonder how many women had stood and looked into the same mirror before her。 She showered inside of what looked like an upended copper tank； toweled and dried her hair with a blow…dryer。 After she dressed； Julia stepped into the empty kitchen； helped herself to a cup of coffee and moved out onto the balcony。
Pitt was down on the main floor in coveralls replacing the shattered windshield on the Duesenberg。 Before she greeted him； Julia's gaze swept over the immaculate machinery on the spacious floor below。
She did not recognize the makes of the classic cars parked in even rows； nor did she recognize the Ford Trimotor aircraft and the Messerschmitt 262 jet plane sitting side by side at one end of the hangar。 There was a large； old…fashioned Pullman car sitting on a short section of track； while behind it a small bathtub with an outboard motor stood perched on a small platform beside a strange…looking craft that resembled the upper half of a sailboat that had been tied to the buoyancy tubes of a rubber boat。 A mast rose from the middle with what seemed like palm fronds woven into a sail。 〃Good morning；〃 she called down。
He looked up and gave her a killer smile。 〃Nice to see you； lazybones。〃
〃I could have stayed in bed all day。〃 〃No chance of that；〃 he said。 〃Admiral Sandecker called while you were in dreamland。 He and your boss want our bodies at a conference in one hour。〃
〃Your place or mine？〃 Julia asked in a humorous tone。 〃Yours； the INS headquarters office。〃 〃How did you ever clean and press my silk dress？〃 〃I soaked it in cold water after you fell asleep last night and hung it to dry。 This morning I lightly ironed it through a cotton towel。 As far as I can tell； it looks good as new。〃
〃You're quite a guy； Dirk Pitt；〃 she said。 〃I've never known a man so thoughtful； or innovative。 Do you perform the same services for all the girls who sleep over？〃
〃Only exotic ladies of Chinese descent；〃 he answered。 〃May I fix breakfast？〃
〃Sounds good。 You'll find whatever you need in the fridge and on the upper cupboards to your right。 I already m