It  after da. t  various points on tructures. I counted forty destroyers, four ligwo he river.

    I  aboard as t reaciced a pair of jeans floating on ter, stiff . I abandoned my small outboard and jumped for troyer.

    ts and some pieces of special equipment ed  of plastic  feeling . I called out. quot;;

    Be formation -- ter, tly placed in relation to ten to ts.

    traffic on ter; t strange.

    It  six-ty; ttle. I decided to climb to tered t took tried to turn it a point or tally; it was locked in place.

    A man entered from troom beely o me and removed my he wheel.

    it seemed more a ste unimpressive: dark rong nose, good mouto be in e fifties. ered troom. I followed him.

    quot;May I ask w;

    quot;Mot,quot; he supplied.

    quot;-- is bound?quot;

    ansion.  a c.

    quot;If its a matter of sealed orders or somet;

    quot;No no,quot;  looking up. quot;Not.quot; t;A bit careless tle boat, arent you?quot;

    t;Not normally. On trary. But somet;

    quot;Of course,quot; ;You icipated.  ladder  secured?quot;

    I t about t. I decided to s tion slightly.

    quot;Are t;

    quot;No,quot;   ed my s ther ships.

    quot;Radio?quot; I asked. quot;Remote control or somet;

    quot;Somet,quot; he said.

    ty destroyers, four ligion to  one. I wo years as a supply officer in New London, principally.

    quot;Is test of some kind?quot; I asked. quot;Ne or --quot;

    quot;Youre afraid t arget practice? ; arily amused.

    quot;No. But ss on t;

    quot;It ,quot;  of troom and seated s in front of the bridge windows. I followed him.

    quot;May I ask your rank?quot;

    quot; ask my name?quot;

    quot;All rig;

    quot;I am t;

    I looked again at ed no suching.

    quot;Objectively,quot; ly.

    quot;My name is --quot; I began.

    quot;I am not interested in your name,quot; ;I am only interested in your be my disposal forty-seven brigs, of able. Not t I believe you  t, I  you to do to t of coffee. Make sandled back in  and regarded the calm, even sea.

    quot;All rig; I said. quot;Yes.quot;

    quot;You ; ed me.

    quot;Yes, sir.quot;

    I  troyer until I found turned o the bridge.

    t;Admiralquot; drank ly. Seabirds made passes at t ic material t enclosed tallations.

    quot; is t stuff used for t; I asked.

    quot;Its a polyvinylcion ate,quot; ;Its sprayed on and to cut it open youd find inside, around t, four or five small clotaining silicate of soda in crystals, to absorb moisture. A very neat system. It does just s supposed to do, keeps t good as ne;

    of mustard e coat,  again t  resembled not an admiral but a man from whom one would order drinks.

    quot; is your mission?quot; I asked, determined not to be outfaced by a man ard on .

    quot;to be at sea,quot; he said.

    quot;Only t?quot;

    quot;t,quot; ;t of ss, building tters, tricians, naval arcects, people in t. ts bottle of ced ribbons  t sailors coming aboard, trials, tains for s ory. ticular ss leaving t tigervals, t engagement, taken. t over tory o three hundred some-odd very large volumes.

    quot;And t; ;too a depot in Neing plastic substance. t moored next to ots class, painted, yes, at scimes, by a creers  is to paint ternally, finiso t and back to t again five years later. atcc, no doubt knocking off a little copper pipe ;

    quot;tockpiled against a possible neional emergency,quot; I said. quot; on eart?quot;

    quot;I oga,quot; ; my age.quot;

    quot;But entions?quot;

    quot;I am taking t; he said.

    quot;You are stealing forty-seven s of ted States?quot;

    quot;t; ;Six submarines of t;

    quot;But w;

    quot;Remember t I ely, if I may say so, in accord ever t ted ticipated in trays and ables. I nessed time, I discovered t tently. ito take tice.quot; ;No me?quot;

    quot;More t;

    quot;Good.quot; elegrapo Full Ahead.