jdavid.footprintsofthunder-第32节

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are　buzzing　with　southbound　truckers　and　travelers　talking　about　the　landslide　blocking　I…5。〃
　〃You　read　my　mind　correctly　on　that　one。　Now　try　the　next　question。〃
　〃I　don't　have　any　idea　where　this　came　from　or　what　is　going　on。〃
　Terry　laughed　and　nodded。　It　was　reassuring　to　know　Bill　was　as　confused　as　he　was。　Bill　Conrad　had　been　in　his　element　in　the　cave；　prepared　for　his　role　by　his　training。　But　out　here　on　the　road；　standing　in　front　of　a　mountain　that　magically　appeared　on　an　interstate　highway；　Bill　wasn't　any　more　petent　than　Terry　or　anyone　else。　Terry　spotted　Ellen　talking　to　Angie。　They　were　laughing　and　smiling；　as　if　they　were　old　friends。
　〃It　makes　you　wonder　about　that　kid　in　the　cave；　doesn't　it？〃　Bill　said。　〃I　mean　I　wonder　if　this　is　what　he　was　talking　about？〃
　Until　Bill　Conrad　had　suggested　it；　Terry　had　never　connected　the　kid　in　the　cave　with　the　mountain。　Now；　he　was　having　trouble　relating　them。
　〃I　don't　know；　Bill；　the　kid　was　delusional；　and　he　was　pretty　specific　about　what　was　going　to　happen。　The　world　was　supposed　to　end。〃
　〃The　sister　said　something　about　things　falling　from　the　sky。〃
　〃This　couldn't　have　fallen　。　。　。　impossible。〃
　Bill　made　a　nonmittal　murmur；　but　his　mind　was　working。　Asserting　himself；　Terry　decided　to　demonstrate　his　own　specialty。
　〃I'd　guess　that　kid　was　paranoid　schizophrenic。　He　exhibited　the　classic　symptoms；　the　secret　knowledge　that　only　he　could　understand；　the　certainty　that　no　one　would　believe　him。　These　types　are　often　pretty　successful　at　fitting　into　society。　They're　delusional；　though；　and　their　worldview　only　makes　sense　to　themselves。〃
　Bill　was　singularly　unimpressed　by　Terry's　diagnosis。
　〃Are　you　a　psychiatrist？〃
　〃Psychologist。〃
　〃Mmmm。　If　someone　believes　the　world　is　going　to　end　and　it　doesn't；　he's　delusional。　What　if　he　thinks　the　world　is　going　to　end　and　it　does？　That's　not　delusion；　that's　prophecy。〃
　〃But　the　world　didn't　end。〃
　〃But　something　sure　as　hell　happened。　How　do　you　explain　that；　doc？〃　Bill　said　jerking　his　head　toward　the　mountain。
　Terry　conceded　Bill　had　a　good　point。　〃I'm　not　saying　I　know　what　has　happened；〃　Terry　responded。　〃I'm　only　suggesting　the　two　events　are　not　necessarily　related。〃
　〃Mmmm。　Peculiar　coincidence。〃
　Bill　walked　over　to　Ellen　and　Angie；　who　were　still　talking　animatedly。　The　three　of　them　laughed　together　for　a　while　before　the　conversation　turned　serious。　Then　they　approached　Terry。
　Bill　began。　〃We're　thinking　of　heading　back　to　Medford　and　finding　that　kid　from　the　cave。　It　may　be　he　knows　more　than　people　are　giving　him　credit　for。〃
　〃I　told　you；　Bill；　that　kid　is　delusional；　and　even　if　he　did　know　something　it　will　be　difficult　for　him　to　municate　it。〃
　〃No　problem。　We've　got　a　psychiatrist　to　go　with　us。〃　Bill　winked　and　grinned　cynically。
　〃Psychologist；〃　Terry　answered　curtly。
　〃Whatever。〃
　〃If　he　gives　us　any　trouble；〃　Terry　offered　more　genially；　〃we've　got　a　marine　to　shoot　him。〃
　〃Air　force。〃
　〃Whatever。〃
　〃e　on；　Terry；　let's　go　with　them；〃　Ellen　said。　〃We　can't　get　through　this　way　anyway；　and　we'll　have　to　find　another　way　around。〃
　Ellen　was　right。　There　really　was　no　reason　to　stay　where　they　were；　and　they　could　hardly　backtrack。　Terry　relented　and　Bill　and　Angie　fed　the　way　back　to　the　cars。　Bill；　more　resourceful　than　Terry；　had　driven　up　the　median　close　to　the　mountain。　They　all　climbed　in　for　a　ride　to　Terry's　car。
　Bill　Conrad's　demeanor　worked　its　magic　again　at　the　sheriffs　department。　The　receptionist/dispatcher　turned　out　to　be　a　woman　named　Karon；　who　would　only　say　the　suspect's　name　was　Kenny　Randall；　a　student　at　Oregon　Institute　of　Technology；　and　he　had　not　been　taken　to　the　police　station。　She　was　reluctant　to　give　any　information　about　Kenny's　current　whereabouts；　but　then　Bill　flashed　his　military　ID；　spoke　in　a　clipped；　brisk　manner；　and　found　out　that　Kenny　was　at　the　munity　hospital。
　The　hospital　staff　buckled　just　as　easily　under　Bill's　demeanor；　and　the　two　couples　found　themselves　outside　Kenny's　door　talking　to　the　sheriff　and　a　doctor。
　The　sheriff　turned　out　to　be　a　refugee　from　the　big　city。　He　had　migrated　from　the　Chicago　police　force　to　Portland　and　then　to　Medford。　Well…educated；　professional；　and　not　intimidated　by　big；　loud；　black　air　force　officers；　at　six　feet　two　he　could　almost　look　Bill　in　the　eye。
　〃Sheriff；　this　is　official　business。　You　know　what's　happened　to　I…5　don't　you？　Well　the　air　force　believes　there　may　be　some　connection　between　the　two　events。〃
　Bill　was　bluffing；　but　he　was　so　good　at　it　Terry　began　to　wonder　what　he　did　for　the　military。
　〃You're　talking　to　the　wrong　person；〃　the　sheriff　insisted。　〃We're　only　holding　the　suspect　until　the　FBI　can　transport　him。　I　don't　have　the　authority　to　admit　you。〃
　〃It　doesn't　matter　anyway；〃　the　doctor　cut　in。　〃He　was　severely　agitated；　so　we　sedated　him。　He　won't　be　conscious　for　a　few　hours。　When　he　does　wake　up　I　wouldn't　expect　much。　He　isn't　responsive。〃
　〃Catatonic？〃　Terry　asked。
　〃Not　yet；　but　that's　the　direction　he's　headed。〃
　Bill　argued　with　them　until　he　got　a　〃maybe　you　can　see　him〃　out　of　them　and　strode　back　to　the　elevator　as　if　he　had　a　sense　of　purpose。
　Terry　lagged　behind；　unsure　of　what　to　do　next。　Ellen　was　down　in　the　lobby　talking　to　Angie；　and　Terry　supposed　he　should　collect　his　wife　and　try　to　work　his　way　over　to　highway　101　and　head　north　along　the　Oregon　coast。　It　would　be　slower　than　I…5；　but　at　least　there　weren't　any　new　mountain　detours。　Still；　Terry　had　an　irrational　feeling　of　unfinished　business。　Wherever　that　mountain　had　e　from…and　Terry　could　not　even　remotely　guess…he　couldn't　move　it　and　had　no　idea　of　how　to　go　around　it。　He　might；　however；　be　of　some　use　with　Kenny　Randall。　Paranoid　schizophrenia　wasn't　normally　what　he　dealt　with；　but　his　residency　had　exposed　him　to　most　of　the　psychoses。　Still；　there　were　more　petent　people　than　Terry　to　deal　with　Kenny's　problem。　Terry　had　nearly　convinced　himself　to　head　home　when　Bill　said；　〃You　ing？〃　Terry　followed　him；　feeling　like　Tonto。
　While　Angie　and　Ellen　waited　in　a　coffee　shop；　Bill　and　Terry　headed　south；　to　search　Kenny's　dormitory　room。
　To　Terry　it　seemed　that　the　easiest　way　to　find　Kenny　Randall's　room　was　to　ask　the　administration。　But　Bill　instead　started　asking　students　if　they　knew　Kenny。　Everyone　did；　and　everyone　rolled　their　eyes　at　the　mention　of　his　name。　The　third　person　they　talked　to　directed　them　to　Residence　Hall。　Bill　had　to　ask　only　two　people　before　he　found　out　which　room　was　Kenny's。　The　reason　Bill　avoided　the　administration　building　became　clear　as　they　stood　outside　Kenny's　room　and　Bill　pulled　a　credit　card　out　and　opened　the　locked　door。
　〃Bill；　this　is　breaking　and　entering！〃
　〃No；　it's　only　entering。〃
　〃Oh；　that　makes　me　feel　much　better。　Why　are　we　playing　burglar？〃
　〃I　doubt　the　dean　would　let　us　in；　and　as　soon　as　the　police　or　the　FBI　think　of　it　they'll　seal　this　room。　They're　probably　on　their　way　here　now。〃
　〃What　if　someone　catches　us　in　here？〃　Terry　worried　out　loud。
　〃Don't　worry；　I'm　licensed　to　kill；〃　Bill　said；　wiggling　his　eyebrows。
　The　room　looked　much　like　Terry's　son's　room。　The　bed　was　unmade；　and　dirty　clothes　were　piled　all　over　the　bed；　and　on　the　floor。　Piles　of　books　and　papers　were　scattered　here　and　there　around　the　room。　A　desk　was　buried　under　more　books　and　papers；　a　puter　sitting　in　the　middle　of　the　clutter。　Terry　felt　skeptical：　This　was　like　a　thousand　other　dorm　rooms　around　the　country。
　Bill　settled　in　front　of　the　puter　and　began　sorting　through　the　disks。　Reluctantly；　Terry　decided　to　snoop　around；　not　expecting　to　find　anything。　The　closet　was　filled　with　books　and　more　dirty　clothes。　Buried　in　the　far　corner　Terry　turned　up　a　typewriter　case。　He　found　nothing　in　it　but　the　expected　typewriter　and　two　extra　ribbon　cartridges。　He　sorted　through　the　books…mostly　texts　on　organizational　psychology；　systems　theory；　personnel　management；　history；　literature；　and　a　surprising　number　of　geography　books　with　sections　highlighted　in　yellow　and　pink。
　Terry；　who　had　marked　up　his　textbooks　in　the　same　way；　reflected　how　some　things　don't　change　about　college　students。　Other　books　dealt　with　science；　specifically　physics；　with　titles　like　Quantum　Theory；　The　New　Physics；　Physics　in　the　New　Age；　and　Whatever　Happened　to　Newton's　Universe？　There　were　books　on　magnetism；　superconductivity；　and　nuclear　fusion　and　fission。　But　the　topic　Kenny　seemed　to　like　best　was　〃time。〃　There　were　at　least　a　dozen　books　with　the　word　time　in　the　title。　So　what？　Terry　wondered。　Now　we　know　Kenny　Randall　likes　to　read　books　on　management；　physics；　and　time。　That　does　not　tell　us　why　a　twenty…year…old　college　student　held　a　group　of　strangers　hostage　in　a　cave。　Nor　does　it　tell　us　how　a　mountain　ended　up　sitting　in　the　middle　of　I…5。
　Terry　thought　about　the　mountain　again；　and　began　to　wonder　if　he'd　been　right　in　assuming　it　had　been　a　natural　event。　He　picked　up　a　book　titled　Unified　Time　Theory　and　thumbed　it。　Uneasy　now；　he　tried　to　remember　what　Kenny　and　his　sister　had　said　about　things　falling　out　of　the　sky。　But　why　books　on　time？　Wouldn't　the　mountain　be　bett