jak.themothmanprophecies-第27节

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re　always　in　the　same　position　at　the　beginning　of　each　evening　and　a　casual　observer　would　automatically　conclude　they　were　really　just　stars。　However；　on　overcast　nights　these　unidentifieds　would　be　the　only　〃stars〃　in　the　sky；　meaning　they　were　below　the　clouds。　While　the　rest　of　the　night　sky　slowly　rotated；　these　phony　stars　would　remain　in　their　fixed　positions；　sometimes　for　hours；　before　they　would　begin　to　move。　Then　they　would　travel　in　any　direction；　up；　down；　clockwise；　etc。
　　
　　They　had　a　number　of　curious　traits。　When　a　plane　would　fly　over　they　would　suddenly　dim　or　go　out　altogether。　As　soon　as　the　plane　was　gone　they　would　flare　up　again。
　　
　　It　was　always　impossible　to　judge　their　size；　altitude；　or　distance。　Sometimes　I　thought　they　were　relatively　close　only　to　find　they　were　actually　miles　away；　traversing　the　river。　Boatmen　on　the　river　were　obviously　watching　them　also。　Occasionally　a　searchlight　from　a　riverboat　would　suddenly　shoot　into　the　sky；　aimed　straight　at　an　object　I　was　watching；　and　the　object　would　skitter　out　of　the　way。
　　
　　I　doubted　that　these　funny　lights　were　spaceships　from　Andromeda　and　I　made　a　strenuous　effort　to　find　rational　explanations。　Dr。　Donald　Menzel；　a　Harvard　astronomer；　advocates　an　air　inversion　theory；　contending　that　these　lights　are　ordinary　lights　reflecting　off　layers　of　warm　or　cold　air　and　producing　a　mirage　effect。　This　theory　wasn't　workable　on　Five　Mile　Creek　Road　simply　because　there　weren't　enough　light　sources。　A　large　radio　antenna　some　miles　down　the　river　did　produce　some　interesting　effects。　When　there　was　a　haze　the　flashing　red　lights　on　the　antenna　were　an　eerie　sight　from　my　hill　and　never　failed　to　excite　first…time　visitors　to　my　lookout　post。
　　
　　Three　or　four　days　after　my　monumental　UFO　sighting　I　was　sitting　in　Mary's　office　when　she　became　very　thoughtful。
　　
　　〃You　know；　there's　something　I've　been　meaning　to　tell　you；〃　she　began　hesitantly。　〃I　don't　know　why；　but　it　always　seems　to　slip　my　mind。　That　night　that　I　left　you　early　。。。　the　night　you　saw　that　colored　disc　。。。　when　I　got　to　Route　2　and　started　for　Point　Pleasant　I　saw　a　big　globe　of　light　on　the　river。　I　couldn't　figure　out　what　it　was　。。。　but　I　didn't　stop。　The　funny　thing　is；　I　forgot　it　pletely。　I　didn't　remember　it　until　a　day　or　so　afterward。　Then　I　forgot　it　again。　I　can't　understand　it。　I've　always　had　a　very　good　memory。〃
　　
　　Lacunal　amnesia；　loss　of　the　memory　of　specific　incidents　or　moments　in　time；　is　a　mon　part　of　the　phenomenon。　In　December　1967　Faye　Carpenter；　Connie's　mother；　had　a　more　baffling　attack　of　amnesia。　The　night　that　〃Jack　Brown〃　visited　Connie　（Chapter　Two）；　Mrs。　Carpenter　had　opened　the　door　for　him。　He　was　in　his　shirt…sleeves；　no　jacket　or　coat　although　it　was　extremely　cold。　She　was　not　going　to　let　him　in　。。。　but　she　did。　And　she　had　absolutely　no　memory　of　his　visit　afterward　even　though　she　had　been　present　when　he　talked　with　Connie；　Keith；　and　Larry。
　　
　　In　the　days　following　Mr。　Brown's　visit；　a　poltergeist　settled　in　the　Carpenter　household。　Securely　fastened　pictures　fell　off　the　walls。　Small　objects　disappeared　from　shelves　and　reappeared　in　unlikely　places。　The　manifestations　lasted　about　two　weeks。
　　
　　IV
　　
　　During　her　news…gathering　rounds；　Mary　Hyre　was　approached　by　a　professional　woman　in　Gallipolis；　Ohio；　the　town　directly　across　the　river　from　Gallipolis　Ferry；　West　Virginia。　She　said　she　heard　I　was　in　the　area　and　she　wanted　to　talk　to　me。　My　motel；　the　Blue　Fountain；　was　on　the　outskirts　of　Gallipolis　so　I　arranged　a　meeting　with　the　lady。　She　held　a　very　responsible　job　and　insisted　on　anonymity；　as　so　many　witnesses　do；　so　I　will　call　her　Mrs。　Bryant。
　　
　　We　met　in　a　private　office　in　a　major　pany　in　Gallipolis。　Mrs。　Bryant　was　a　reserved；　well…spoken　middle…aged　woman　who　looked　slightly　fatigued　from　overwork。
　　
　　She　was　very　secretive　and　suspicious　at　first；　but　after　I　showed　her　my　parcel　of　credentials　she　relaxed　somewhat。　It　was　obvious　she　had　been　through　a　great　deal　and　she　was　concerned　I　would　not　believe　her。　She　had　gone　to　the　local　authorities；　she　said；　and　they　had　laughed　at　her。　I　assured　her　that　I　wouldn't　laugh；　that　I　was　accustomed　to　hearing　incredible　stories　from　credible　people。
　　
　　〃Last　November　。。。　I　think　it　was　the　second　or　third；〃　she　began；　〃I　was　out　behind　this　building；　getting　ready　to　go　home。　It　was　seven　or　eight　o'clock。　Suddenly　there　was　a　little　flash；　like　a　camera　flash　gun　going　off；　directly　above　me　。。。　and　then　I　saw　a　thing　。。。　some　kind　of　flying　machine。　I　couldn't　move。　I　guess　I　was　frozen　with　fright。　This　thing　landed　right　there　in　the　parking　lot　not　twenty　feet　away　from　me。　It　was　like　a　big　cylinder。　Anyway；　it　didn't　make　the　slightest　bit　of　noise。　It　just　drifted　down　and　stopped。　Like　I　say；　I　couldn't　move。　I　guess　I　started　praying。　Then　two　men　came　out　of　it　and　they　walked　over　to　me。〃
　　
　　She　studied　me　anxiously　as　if　expecting　me　to　laugh。
　　
　　〃What　did　they　look　like？〃　I　asked。
　　
　　〃They　were　just　normal…sized；　normal…looking　men；　but　their　skins　were　a　funny　color　。。。　dark；　like　maybe　they　were　heavily　tanned。　The　light　was　pretty　bad　there　so　I　couldn't　see　them　all　that　well。〃
　　
　　〃Were　they　Negroes？〃
　　
　　〃No。　No；　they　didn't　have　Negroid　features。　Their　faces　seemed　kind　of　pointed。　You　know；　pointed　noses；　pointed　chins；　high　cheekbones。　There　was　a　kind　of　evil　look　about　them。　I　was　afraid　I　was　going　to　get　robbed　or　attacked。〃
　　
　　〃How　were　they　dressed？〃　I　leaned　back　and　lit　my　pipe。
　　
　　〃As　near　as　I　could　tell；　they　were　wearing　some　kind　of　coveralls；　something　like　a　uniform。　Then　they　started　talking　to　me。〃
　　
　　She　kept　watching　me；　reluctant　to　continue。
　　
　　〃What　did　they　have　to　say？〃　I　prompted；　trying　to　avoid　leading　questions。
　　
　　〃Well；　it　was　all　pretty　silly。　They　just　wanted　to　know　my　name；　where　I　was　from；　what　I　did　for　a　living；　things　like　that　Sometimes　it　was　hard　to　understand　them。　Their　voices　were　sort　of　singsongy　and　high…pitched。　It　was　like　listening　to　a　phonograph　record　played　at　the　wrong　speed。　And　they　kept　asking　me　for　the　time。　They　asked　'What　is　your　time？'　two　or　three　times。　Finally　they　just　walked　back　to　the　thing　and　it　took　off。　Then　I　could　move　again。　I　was　scared　out　of　my　wits　but　I　decided　not　to　tell　anyone。　Then　a　couple　of　days　later　I　heard　about　a　man　up　near　Parkersburg　who　had　the　same　thing　happen　to　him。〃
　　
　　〃His　name　is　Woodrow　Derenberger；〃　I　volunteered。　〃Have　you　met　him？〃
　　
　　〃No。　I　just　heard　something　about　him　on　the　radio。〃　She　paused　and　moistened　her　thin　lips。　〃I　wonder　。。。　did　he　ever　see　those　men　again？〃
　　
　　〃He　says　he　did。〃
　　
　　She　looked　relieved。
　　
　　〃Well；　I　saw　them　again。　I　saw　them　in　broad　daylight。　Walking　right　down　the　main　street　in　Gallipolis。　This　time　they　were　dressed　in　normal　clothes。　They　looked　like　anybody。　They　sort　of　nodded　to　me　when　they　passed　me。　I　got　scared　all　over　again。　Real　scared。　That's　when　I　went　to　the　police　and　told　them　what　I　saw。　They　laughed　at　me　and　said　I　was　probably　just　imagining　things。〃　She　paused　again　and　shook　her　head　sadly。　〃You　see；　I've　been　to　the　police　before　。。　。　about　my　cattle　rustlers。　I　guess　they　think　I'm　some　kind　of　a　nut。　I　went　to　the　FBI；　too。　They　came　out　to　my　place　but　said　they　couldn't　find　anything。　After　that　somebody　tapped　my　telephone。　Maybe　it　was　the　FBI。〃
　　
　　I　was　scribbling　in　my　pocket　notebook。　A　year　or　two　earlier　I　would　have　classified　Mrs。　Bryant　as　a　paranoid…schizophrenic。　But　she　didn't　seem　like　a　mon　run…of…the…mill　nut。
　　
　　She　and　her　two　teen…aged　children　lived　on　a　farm　outside　of　Gallipolis。　She　kept　cows　there　and　beginning　in　1963…64　she　started　to　have　trouble　with　cattle　rustlers　who　butchered　the　animals　in　the　field。
　　
　　〃Whoever　they　were；〃　she　observed；　〃they　didn't　seem　to　want　the　choice　cuts。　They　just　took　the　brains；　eyeballs；　udders；　and　organs　that…you　know…we'd　normally　throw　away。〃
　　
　　Had　she　ever　caught　the　culprits　in　the　act？
　　
　　〃Several　times；〃　she　said。　〃I'd　see　them　out　in　the　field　and　go　after　them　with　a　shotgun。　But　they　always　got　away。　They're　tall　men　and　they　wear　white　coveralls　。。。　which　is　kind　of　stupid　because　they　really　stand　out　in　the　dark。　And　they　can　certainly　run　and　jump。　I've　seen　them　leap　over　high　fences　from　a　standing　start。〃
　　
　　Her　home　burned　to　the　ground　during　that　period　and　she　built　a　new　one…story　ranch　house　on　the　same　site。　One　night　when　she　was　alone　in　the　new　house；　she　said；　she　woke　up　and　found　herself　unable　to　move。　She　felt　a　wave　of　almost　overpowering　heat　as　she　heard　the　kitchen　door　open。　She　had　double…locked　it　before　going　to　bed。　While　she　lay　there　helplessly；　she　said　she　saw　a　tall　figure　walk　through　the　kitchen　and　apparently　go　out　another　locked　door　on　the　other　side。　After　it　left；　she　was　able　to　move。
　　
　　Other　strange　sounds　pervaded　the　house；　she　claimed。　She　and　her　children　often　heard　heavy　footsteps　on　the　roof　and　loud　meta