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Dante cut him off. “I see things that other people don’t. I’ll find that wreck
site.”
“No way,” said Star. “You don’t take a guy who isn’t comfortable diving
and send him to seven hundred feet.”
“You do if he’s the only guy who can find a billion dollars!”
“It’s too late anyway,” Star told him. “We’ve only got one bell.”
Dante pointed to the lift basket that hung on the smaller winch next to the
crane that controlled the bell. It was to be lowered to the wreck site to be filled
with treasure. “It’s going down anyway. What’s the difference if I hitch a ride on
it?”
“You must descend very slow,” Henri said thoughtfully. “Two hours, maybe
more.”
“Yeah, right,” Star snorted at Dante. “You’re afraid to scuba dive, but you
can sit in a cage for two hours watching the water around you turn black. You
won’t make it, Dante. You’ll freak out and do something stupid. And then you’ll
get yourself killed for sure.”
“You think I want this?” Dante snapped. “You think I want to risk my life
and spend four days decompressing? I’d be thrilled to stay topside while
everybody else dives. But I’m the guy who can get it done. End of story.”
Henri took Dante to get suited up while Star reported the change of plan to
the divers.
“I forbid this!” exclaimed English.
The three interns told him about Dante’s color blindness. “He only sees in
black and white,” Adriana explained, “but he can spot shadings underwater that
nobody else can. If anybody can find that wreck, it’s him.”
English was still skeptical. “And the boy, he is not frightened?”
“He’s terrified,” Star admitted. “But I’ve never seen him so determined.”
She sighed. “I wish I was going down with him.”
“You must be more careful what you wish for, mademoiselle,” the guide told
her solemnly.
Dante clung to the lift basket to keep himself from shaking. Just gearing up
for this dive was enough to bring on panic. The bulky dry suit constricted him as
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