The boat lay at anchor??? as still as if it had been welded to

the surface of the sea. Normally??? this far out??? there would

be long??? roiling ground swells-offspring of far-distant

storms-that would cause the boat to rise and fall??? the hori-

zon constantly to change. But??? for more than a week??? a

high-pressure system had squatted over the Adantic from

Haiti to Bermuda. The sky was empty even of fair-

weather clouds??? and the reflection of the midday sun made

the water look as solid as polished steel.

To the east??? a splinter of gray hung??? shimmering??? sus-

pended a millimeter above the edge of the world: the

refracted image of a small island }ust beyond the horizon.

To the west??? nothing but waves of heat rising??? dancing.

Two men stood in the stern??? fishing with monofila-

ment hand lines. They wore ragged shorts??? filthy white T-

shirts??? and wide-brimmed straw hats. Now and then??? one

or the other would dip a bucket off the stern and pour

water on the deck??? to cool the Fiberglas beneath their bare

feet. Between them??? over the socket where the fighting