Many Words

The stewards whisked the soup dishes away and replaced them with plates. The main course seemed to be a straightforward chicken cutlet.

Cannon let his sit for a moment. “Mr. Wailani, did you hear Schmeling’s latest fight?”

Wailani looked up from his plate. “I did! Dr. Smith, I had no idea you were a student of the squared circle.”

Volkov watched the conversation with some interest. Cannon smiled inwardly. “Nothing so dramatic as that, I’m afraid,” he said. “Rather a shame the American lost. Old Adolf scarcely needs further reason to shout the primacy of the German race.”

Volkov snorted. “If we had vodka, I would drink to that.”

“No fan of the Nazis, I take it?” said Cannon.

“In days gone by, when I was younger,” Volkov replied, “I could have taken smile off of Schmeling’s face. Monte was bad match.”

“Do tell.”

Before Volkov could answer, Iseabail’s face lit up. She exclaimed, “Danny, there’s butter in yon chicken!”

Cannon blinked. Butter was indeed flowing from Iseabail’s half-eaten cutlet. “Well, I’ll be.”

Wailani laughed. “Soviet cuisine is not to be sneezed at, Mrs. Smith.”

“Yon borscht had aye a lot of pepper,” Iseabail replied. “Maybe sneeze at tha’.”

“Quite,” Cannon said, chuckling. “Begging your pardon, Mr. Volkov. I believe you were about to tell us the secret to defeating the Black Uhlan of the Rhine.”

“Da,” said Volkov. “Schmeling is careful fighter, thoughtful. He waits for mistake, then counterpunches.” Volkov shadowboxed to illustrate: hands held close to his chest, bobbing away from an imagined opponents blow and throwing a quick jab in response. “Is hard to fight straight through. I am quick on feet, and have long arms. Secret is to move, make Schmeling follow, lead with jab to draw response, and counter-punch with cross into counterpunch.”

“Fascinating.” Cannon had never been much of a pugilist himself. In fact, he was well-known for it. Even so, he had been in enough scraps to talk shop. Unfortunately, Dr. Daniel Smith had not. “If I may, Mr. Volkov, I should like to hear more of your exploits, both in the ring and in the field.”

Volkov tapped his finger on the edge of the table. “Are you leaving with Comrade Wailani in Hawaii? Talk of field we can do here. Talk of ring? Comrade Rokossovsky thinks it is too base for his table.”

“We’ll be aboard until Yokohama.”

An unspoken conversation passed between Volkov and Kopeikin. Volkov turned to Wailani. “These are your friends?”

“Good acquaintances, at the very least.”

Volkov looked back to Cannon. “After stop in Hawaii, you must play cards with us. Then we can talk of whatever we want.”

Cannon flashed a genuine smile. “I should like nothing more.”



“Did ye have any trouble gettin’ intae the city?” Iseabail asked.

Volkov looked to Kopeikin, who spoke. “Comrade Volkov’s English is…” He rocked his hand back and forth. “When we came to the city, we found remains of old expeditions.”

Cannon felt his jaw tighten. Some of those remains were his crew.

Out of the corner of her eye, Iseabail saw the change in her captain’s countenance. As subtly as she could, she kicked him in the shin.

Kopeikin continued. “We also found traps, which old expeditions had set off. So, we think we must be careful.”

“Certainly,” Cannon replied. “Kopadula is quite a bit less dangerous, but the payoff, if you will, is quite a bit less itself.”

“Yes,” Kopeikin said. “Do you know the streets of Poka Huguaw?”

Cannon nodded. “We’ve seen maps, at any rate.”

“Temple complex at the center of the city is surrounded by high walls, and smooth, not easy to climb. We found tunnels which go beneath the walls.”

Volkov took up the narrative. “Inside temple were idols, bronze and gold. Is new frontier in ancient Panama studies.”

“Aye,” Iseabail agreed. “If yon Panamanians had goldsmithin’ aye tha’ long ago, we’ve lots tae learn yet.”

“Is true,” said Volkov. “Time is left for you, Dr. Smith, to make your name. Panama still has aces up her sleeves.”

“If I make a name for myself,” Cannon said, “you can be sure Mrs. Smith will be right there with me. What a relief they never built a canal, wouldn’t you say? It would have been a crying shame to wash away all of Panama’s most fascinating history.”

“Did ye take anythin’ away from yon site?” Iseabail said. “For yer museums?”

The stewards laid out the soup course. Volkov was quiet for some time after. Kopeikin eventually answered. “It is because of security that I cannot say, but if you visit Leningrad next year or after, you may see some items on display.”

Cannon exhaled. He had worried that Iseabail had overplayed their hand. Fortunately, Kopeikin’s non-answer told him everything he needed to know. The idol was most likely aboard, and that meant it could be lifted. “Excellent, excellent.” He let silence settle over the table for a few minutes as the guests finished off their borscht.

Cannon and Iseabail had barely exchanged pleasantries with Wailani before the stewards made their signal. The trio proceeded to the table and found the placards marking their places. Cannon pulled out Iseabail’s chair, and they sat.

“What a delight to have the two of you here,” Wailani said. “It is regrettable that I will be leaving your company in Honolulu.”

“Tha’s good,” Iseabail said, and then froze. A split-second glance at Wailani confirmed that he had heard her perfectly well, and a similar glance at Cannon told her that, since she had dug this particular hole and leaped in head-first, it was her responsibility to get herself back back out again. “I mean tae say, tha’ is, tha’ it’s good tae be back home.”

“Of course, we will miss our chats,” Cannon put in, patting Iseabail on the arm. “It has been a singular delight to make your acquaintance.”

Wailani looked between the two of them. “I’m sure we’ll meet again, one way or another. Ah, Mr. Kopeikin, Mr. Volkov.”

The two Russians, just sitting down, nodded brusquely. “Mr. Wailani,” Kopeikin said.

“These are friends of mine,” Wailani said, “Dr. and Mrs. Smith. I understand they were in Panama for much the same reason as you were.”

At that, Volkov looked up.

“With rather less success, I’m afraid to say,” Cannon said. “The Royal Society’s dig in Kopadula has not unearthed much to write home about.”

Volkov shrugged modestly. “Is luck of the draw. Nobody could guess Poka Huguaw hid so many artifacts.”

Cannon, of course, knew that to be false. He and the Long Nines had been to Poka Huguaw in 1927, on the advice of a Frenchman named Lachapelle. Between the little surprises the ancient Panamanians had left behind and Lachapelle’s betrayal, they barely escaped with their lives. All he said was, “Luck of the draw indeed.”

Iseabail regarded Cannon with some skepticism. “Cannae ye tie yer tie any straighter?”

Cannon lifted his chin and looked at his neck in the mirror. “It isn’t any different than it’s been.”

“Aye, but we were nae tryin’ tae fit inta yon cap’n’s circle then.” She waved him over. “Let me have a look tae.”

“Isea, you aren’t going to retie my tie.”

“Ye said yerself we’re aye to do everythin’ we can tae get tha’ invitation from Volkov.” Iseabail raised her eyebrows, daring Cannon to object. He said nothing, and stood in front of her.

He caught her hand on the way toward his neck. “Not a word to the crew,” he said.

“Ach, it’s nae as though you’d get teased as much as me anyway.” Iseabail’s hands moved faster than Cannon could follow, and in fifteen seconds, she was done. “Better, aye?”

Cannon turned to the mirror. Iseabail poked him in the side, once, then again. “All right, all right. You win.”

Iseabail smiled a broad smile, delighted. The clock chimed twice. “Tha’s our cue.”

Cannon offered her his arm. “Shall we, Mrs. Smith?”

The steward waiting outside their stateroom led them forward, through a nondescript door a few yards shy of the end of the main corridor. It led to another corridor, paneled in dark wood and carpeted in crimson, which took them further forward. They passed a few doors—officers’ quarters, Cannon suspected—before the steward stopped and ushered them into the captain’s dining room.

The room was a long rectangle, centered on the table. Unlike the rest of the zeppelin, it was the picture of opulence. Even through his shoes, Cannon could feel himself sinking into the carpet. The table looked to be solid wood, an unheard-of luxury on a zeppelin this size, and though there were no windows, paintings all but covered the paneled walls.

A dozen people milled around in shifting twos and threes. The captain detached himself from a little knot of conversation and came up to them. “Good evening, Dr. Smith, Mrs. Smith!”

“Cap’n Rokossovsky,” Iseabail replied, dipping her head with a smile. “Once again, our thanks for yer invitation.”

Rokossovsky waved his hands. “I should be thanking you,” he said, “for returning such a treasure of Soviet art. You will dine with us for remainder of voyage.”

“How generous,” Cannon said smoothly. “It would be our pleasure.”

Rokossovsky gestured to the rest of the room. “Mr. Wailani will be seated next to you. You are across from Comrade Volkov—” he pointed out the largest man in the room “—and his assistant Comrade Kopeikin.”

Kopeikin was scarcely taller than Iseabail. “Rather a study in contrasts, wouldn’t you say, captain?” Cannon remarked.

The captain nodded. “They are fastest of friends. They met during the war.”

“I see,” Cannon said. “Well, thank you again, captain. We should say hello to Mr. Wailani.”

“Yes, yes,” Rokossovsky replied. “Make rounds. Meet passengers. Stewards will ring us to the table when dinner is served.”


Cannon passed a few hours in the lounge, paging through an English-language volume of Chekhov’s greatest hits. Despite the Soviet translators’ best efforts to cloud matters, Cannon could see the author’s skill. He made a note to find an edition translated by someone who spoke English as a first language.

Just before lunch, he returned to his stateroom, to find Iseabail relaxing on the sofa, just finishing the last typewritten page of his pre-Columbians Panama dossier. She passed his quiz with flying colors, and even called him on a trick question or two about Cortes. He had expected no less from the sharpest member of the Long Nines, provided she had the motivation to learn. As usual, all it took was a little prod to get her competitive side into gear.

“… an’ Cortes never came tha’ far south, an’ Balboa came tae Panama first anyway. Wasnae ’til the eighteen hundreds wha’ anyone who wasnae from Panama saw the ruins.”

“Good. One more: before the discovery of stone ruins, what was the only known indigenous dwelling?”

“Wee huts, palm leaves over branch frames.”

Cannon nodded. “Right again. You’re close enough to an expert to fool me.”

“I’m nae tryin’ tae fool you.”

“It’s more than enough for dinner conversation.”

Iseabail looked distinctly nervous. “If’n ye say so, cap’n.”

“Look, Isea,” Cannon said, “you’ve done great so far. I didn’t pick you for this job just because of your accent, or just because you can make it look like you belong with the rich zeppelin set. I brought you along because you’re sharp as a tack and you can think on your feet. When it comes to history, do you think I know what I’m talking about?”

“Aye.”

“Am I a liar?”

Iseabail shifted on the sofa. “Nobody’s sayin’ tha’.”

Cannon nodded. “So when I tell you that you could fool me, it means you’re ready. Are you ready?”

“Aye, cap’n.” Iseabail sat straighter and looked brighter.

“Good. Now, remember. We need to get into Volkov’s cabin so we can knock him out and toss the place. It’s a whole lot easier if we’re invited. If you see some chance to get us in the door—both of us, or either of us—take it.”

“Aye.”


“Wha’, tha’ easy?” Iseabail sipped from her teacup. She sat across from Cannon at a table in the corner of the lounge, far from anyone else. Nevertheless, they spoke in low tones. Two plates were stacked between them. Out the windows to Cannon’s right, the occasional puffy cloud floated past. In the far distance, the blue of the sky and the blue of the sea melted together.

Cannon looked into his own teacup with the air of a man adrift. “Isea, I could kill a man for a decent cup of coffee.”

Iseabail’s eyes twinkled. “Ach, tha’s good news.” To Cannon’s raised eyebrows, she explained, “Means ye willna be stickin’ wi’ yon insufferable Englishman act.”

“We’ll have to stop in on a roaster in Hawaii. They know what they’re doing.”

“Wouldnae know,” Iseabail said, daintily placing her teacup upon its saucer. “I’ve aye never had the ken of coffee. Dinnae know how ye drink somethin’ so bitter.”

Cannon sighed and shook his head. “I don’t have the time to tell you how wrong you are.” He looked up at Iseabail, then back to his teacup, then took a disappointing sip. “At dinner, we need to impress Volkov. Have you finished the reading?”

“I was done on the train.”

“Well,” Cannon said, “read it again. If we don’t pass for experts on Central American history, we don’t get on Volkov’s good side. If we don’t get on Volkov’s good side, we can’t get him alone to knock him out.”

“Ach, I know the plan.”

Cannon picked his teacup up. He looked into it, then set it down and pushed the saucer away. “Get to the reading. There’s a test when you’re done.”

“Wonderful,” Iseabail grumbled. “An’ here I was hopin’ we could keep our run at yon card tables goin’. Nae as much money in it as the job, but it’s aye easier.”

“That’s thinking like a real pirate.” A shark’s grin spread across Cannon’s face. “Read fast, and we’ll have time for some fleecing, too.”


The captain was quiet. He turned through the folio slowly, reading a few lines here and there. “You are Dr. Smith, then?”

Cannon blinked.

“A Mr. Wailani told me I might get visit from you.”

“A new acquaintance of mine,” said Cannon. “Yes, I am indeed Dr. Smith.”

“Archaeologist, yes?” the captain asked. “You and your wife?”

Cannon nodded. “We specialize in the pre-Columbian Americas.”

“Ah!” The captain grinned at the stewards. Cannon could picture them: dead silent, waiting for the order to strongarm him away, and certainly not sharing in the captain’s levity. “What wonderful luck. We have passenger aboard who is distinguished in the very same field. His name is Artiom Volkov.”

“Volkov!” Cannon said. His eyebrows shot up as he feigned surprise. “I understand he recently made quite the discovery in Panama.”

“Yes, this is true,” the captain replied. “He is private, but I think he might like to meet a fellow academic.” Elbow on the table, he waved his hand over the folio. “You have given an excellent gift. In exchange, if you wish to meet Comrade Volkov, I will invite you to dinner this evening.”

“It would be a great honor,” Cannon said.

“Wonderful! Dr. Smith will join us tonight,” the captain informed the stewards. One nodded fractionally. “One of my men will meet you at your stateroom at half seven—six-thirty, to take you to my wardroom.”