Flags of Convenience

Book excerpt: World Trade, as a concept and as a symbol, has taken a tremendous beating this past year. First with violent demonstrations against the World Trade Organization, then with a series of terrorist attacks in the United States. But history has demonstrated that the trading impulse among nations is resilient enough to absorb these setbacks and strong enough to repel them in the future Eugene Bryan's sole purpose in life is pleasure. He believes that he is intelligent and cosmopolitan, and he rather likes it that way. But Bryan's self-image undergoes a dramatic change when the sudden death of a prominent shipping journalist leads an old personal friend to recruit him for a position at the trade magazine, Pacific Freighter.In his new job, Bryan is suddenly cast into the network of crime and intrigue that supports water-borne commerce. He quickly becomes familiar with the "flags of convenience"-tens of thousands of ocean vessels sailing under assumed countries of origin. These ships represent a significant threat to U.S. national security and global economic dominance, a threat which becomes especially serious in the wake of 9/11.Having fashioned a fresh persona, Bryan embarks on a frenzied journey of self-realization and discovery. But will his newfound understanding sustain him after a crushing loss?