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toward the ship。
Pitt； poised on the platform； didn't wait for the echo。 Holding the mask firmly in place against his face with one hand and clutching the pole spear in the other； he leaped。
The impact shattered the sun…danced water into a blazing diffused pattern of blue brilliance。 Immediately after the surface closed over his head； Pitt rolled frontward and kicked his fins as fast； it seemed to him； as a Mississippi River paddle wheeler at full throttle。 Five seconds and fifteen feet later； he glanced over his shoulder and watched the dark shape of the ship's hull slide slowly overhead。 The whirling twin propellers seemed frighteningly closer than they really were： their thrashing sound traveled at forty…nine hundred feet per second underwater as pared to less than eleven hundred feet through air； and the light refraction magnified their flashing blades by nearly twenty…five percent。
Teeth clenched on the regulator's mouthpiece； Pitt swung around and stared in the direction of the shrinking ship to see how the others had fared。 His sigh of relief was answered by the hiss of his exhaust bubbles from the regulator。 Thank God； they were all there； and in one piece。 Knight； Thomas； Spencer； and Hersong； all in a group within touching distance。 Only Woodson had dragged his feet； he hung in the water about twenty feet beyond the rest。
The visibility was startling。 The long； purplish tentacles of a jelly…like Portuguese Man O' War were clearly discernible nearly eighty feet away。 A pair of ugly looking Dragonet fish swam idly across the bottom； their vivid blue and yellow scaleless bodies topped by high slender gill spines。 It was a hidden world； a soundless world； owned by weirdly shaped creatures and decorated by graceful fantasies of form and vibrant hues that defied any attempt at human description。 It was also a world of mystery and danger； guarded by a sinister array of weapons； varying from the slaughterous teeth of the shark to the deadly venom of the innocent looking Zebra fish； an intriguing bination of eternal beauty and constant peril。
Without waiting for signs of disfort； Pitt began snorting into the mask to equalize the air pressure of his inner ears to that of the water pressure。 When his ears popped； he slowly dove toward the majestic seascape under him and became a part of it。
At thirty feet； the reds were left behind； and the depths became a soft blending of blues and greens。 Pitt leveled off at fifty and studied the bottom。 No sea growth or rocks here； just a patch of submerged desert where miniature sand dunes meandered in unbroken snake…like ripples。 Except for an occasional bottom…dwelling Star Gazer fish； buried with only a pair of stony eyes and a portion of its grotesque； fringed lips protruding above the sand； the sea floor
was deserted。
Exactly eight minutes after they had left the First Attempt； the bottom began to slope upward； and the water became slightly murky from the surface wave action。 A rock formation； covered with swaying seaweed； appeared in the gloom ahead。 And then suddenly they were at the base of a vertically sheer cliff that rose at an unbroken 90 deg。 angle until it disappeared into the mirrored surface above。 Like Captain Nemo and his panions exploring an undersea garden； Pitt began directing his team of marine scientists to spread out and search for the submarine cave。
The hunt took no more than five minutes。 Woodson； who had angled a hundred feet out on the right perimeter； found it first。 Signaling Pitt and the others by rapping his knife against his airtank； he motioned for them to e and went swimming off along the northern face of the cliff to a point beyond a weed…encrusted crevasse。 There he paused and held up a leveled arm。
And then Pitt saw it； a black and ominous opening just twelve feet below the surface。 The size was perfect； big enough for a submarine or； for that matter； a lootive to have been driven in。 They all hung suspended in the clear crystal water； their eyes fixed on the cave entrance； hesitating； exchanging glances。
Pitt moved first； entering the hole。 Except for a few dim flashes of light； reflected from the whites of his heels； he disappeared pletely from view； swallowed by the yawning cavity。
He leisurely beat the water with his fins and let an ining swell help carry him slowly through the tunnel。 The bright blue…green of the sunlit sea rapidly transformed into a kind of deep twilight blue。 At first Pitt could see nothing； but soon his eyes adjusted to the dark interior； and he began to make out a few details of his surroundings。
There should have been a myriad of marine life clinging to the tunnel walls。 There should have been darting crabs； winking limpets and barnacles； or crawling lobsters； sneaking about in search of tasty shellfish。 There were none of these。 The rocky sides were barren； and they were coated with a reddish substance that clouded the water whenever Pitt touched the smooth； unnatural material。 He rolled face up and inspected the arched roof； watching in fascinated interest as his exhaust bubbles rose and wandered across the ceiling； like a trail of quicksilver； seeking escape from a vial。
Abruptly the roof angled upward； and Pitt's head broke the surface。 He looked around but saw nothing； a gray cloud of mist obscured everything。 Puzzled； he ducked his head back in the water and dove； leveling out at ten feet。 Beneath him a cylindrical shaft of cobalt light flowed in from the tunnel。 The water was as clear as air； Pitt could see every nook and cranny of the cavern's submerged area。
An aquarium。 That was the only way Pitt could describe it。 But for the fact that there were no portholes in the walls； the cavern could have easily passed for the main tank at Marineland in California。 It was a far cry from the tunnel； marine life abounded everywhere。 The lobsters were here； and so were the crabs； the limpets； the barnacles； even a heavy growth of kelp。 There were also roving schools of brilliantly colored fish。 One fish in particular caught Pitt's eye； but before he could get closer； it saw his approach and flashed into a protective rock fissure。
For several moments； Pitt took in the breathtaking scene。 Then suddenly； he started as a foreign hand grabbed his leg。 It was Ken Knight； and he was motioning toward the surface。 Pitt nodded and swam to the top。 Again he was greeted by the heavy mist。
Pitt spit out his mouthpiece。 〃What do you make of it？〃 he asked。 The rock walls amplified his voice to a roar。
〃A fairly mon occurrence；〃 Knight answered； roaring back matter of factly。 〃Every time a swell hits the entrance outside； the force runs like a piston through the tunnel； pressing the air already trapped in the cavern。 When the pressure recedes； the expanded； moisturized air cools and condenses in a fine mist。〃 Knight paused to blow some mucus from his nose。 〃The swells are running at about twelve…second intervals； so it should start to clear up at any time。〃
No sooner had he said it than the mist disappeared； revealing a dim cavern that arched to a dome sixty feet overhead。 It was a drowned grotto and nothing more； no traces of man…made equipment。 Pitt felt as though he had entered a deserted