jdavid.footprintsofthunder-第33节

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r　had　said　about　things　falling　out　of　the　sky。　But　why　books　on　time？　Wouldn't　the　mountain　be　better　explained　with　books　on　geology？
　Bill　was　still　working　with　Kenny's　puter；　running　programs。　So　Terry　started　looking　through　the　books　on　the　shelf　above　Kenny's　desk。　There　were　titles　like　Stranger　Than　Fact；　The　Unknown；　and　Science　and　the　Unexplained。　They　reminded　him　of　tabloids　in　grocery　store　racks；　pulp　journals　that　mixed　fact　and　fiction。　Terry　thumbed　through　Stranger　Than　Fact　and　found　a　chapter　on　ghosts；　describing　how　a　man　bought　a　house；　against　the　advice　of　his　friends；　which　supposedly　had　a　haunted　room。　One　night　the　man　went　to　bed　in　the　room　and　woke　up　in　the　night　feeling　someone's　breath　on　the　back　of　his　neck。　He　rolled　over　to　find　himself　inches　from　the　decaying　face　of　a　dead　woman；　her　fetid　breath　blowing　into　his　face。　Terrified；　the　man　ran　into　the　street；　pulling　his　hair　out。
　Other　stories　were　similar；　and　Terry　was　about　to　throw　the　book　back　onto　the　shelf　when　he　noticed　some　pages　were　highlighted　in　pink。
　For　instance；　in　a　section　called　〃Human　Torches〃　one　story　detailed　how　an　old　woman　was　found　burned　to　death　sitting　in　a　chair　in　her　room　on　February　5；　1905。　She　and　the　chair　were　burned　to　crispy　charcoal。　The　floor　was　charred　around　the　woman's　chair　eighteen　inches　in　all　directions；　but　beyond　that　the　room　was　untouched；　and　the　walls　were　free　of　soot。　The　woman　did　not　smoke　and　the　book　described　it　as　a　case　of　spontaneous　human　bustion。　There　were　other　similar　cases；　ranging　from　1725　to　1977。　The　last　case　was　nearly　identical　to　the　1905　one…a　woman　found　in　front　of　her　television；　her　body　pletely　consumed　by　a　fire　that　left　only　the　head　and　one　foot。　Nothing　else　in　the　room　was　burned。
　Terry　flipped　through　the　book　again　to　a　chapter　called　〃Extinct？〃　A　highlighted　section　described　a　fish　called　a　〃coelacanth〃　caught　in　a　fisherman's　net　off　the　coast　of　South　America。　The　120…pound　armored　fish　was　half…fish　and　half…land　animal；　and　thought　to　be　extinct　for　seventy…five　million　years。
　Terry　flipped　through　the　pages　to　other　highlighted　sections　on　Sasquatch　sightings　in　the　Pacific　Northwest；　yeti　sightings　in　Tibet；　and　dinosaur　sightings　in　Africa。　A　big　section　was　devoted　to　things　falling　from　the　sky。　Fish；　frogs；　seeds；　ice；　and　rocks　have　fallen　out　of　a　blue　sky　and　pelted　people　and　homes。　In　Singapore　on　the　morning　of　February　16；　1861；　fish　had　poured　from　the　sky　and　the　Chinese　and　Malays　had　collected　hundreds　of　pounds　in　baskets。　Terry　jumped　over　reports　of　fish　falls　in　1920；　1941；　and　1968　to　a　similar　report　from　Kamilla；　India；　in　1975；　when　thousands　of　sardine…size　fish　poured　out　of　the　sky。　In　this　report　the　fish　were　dried。
　Probably　the　strangest　story　told　of　a　group　of　archaeologists　working　in　the　Egyptian　desert　who　were　found　in　the　shambles　of　their　camp；　dead。　They　had　been　drowned。　No　one　could　explain　how　the　archaeologists　and　their　workers　had　drowned　in　the　middle　of　the　desert。　There　were　no　signs　of　foul　play；　and　obviously　there　wasn't　enough　water　to　drown　in。
　Terry　found　himself　peculiarly　attracted　to　the　stories　in　the　book。　They　had　the　same　kind　of　appeal　that　had　brought　people　into　freak　shows　for　centuries；　and　took　them　to　slasher　movies　today。　The　excitement　wasn't　in　seeing　someone　merely　killed；　but　in　seeing　someone　killed　in　an　unusual　way。
　Despite　his　affinity　for　the　book　and　its　stories；　Terry　could　not　see　the　mon　thread　that　tied　the　stories　together。　Spontaneous　bustion；　Big　Foot；　and　prehistoric　fish　added　up　to　nothing　but　a　waste　of　time。
　Terry　put　the　book　back　on　the　shelf　and　looked　through　the　stacks　of　papers　and　other　books。　An　overstuffed　file　of　newspaper　clippings　next　to　the　puter　told　stories　similar　to　those　in　the　books　on　the　shelf。　The　first　was　only　two　paragraphs　long；　describing　a　woman　walking　down　a　street　in　Seattle。　A　man　passed　her　in　the　other　direction。　Suddenly　there　was　a　〃whoosh〃　and　a　〃pop〃　and　when　the　woman　turned　around　the　man　was　on　fire。　Not　just　flickering　with　flames；　but　a　human　torch　that　burned　so　hot　the　body　was　nearly　consumed。　Terry　immediately　remembered　the　old　woman　burned　in　her　room；　but　still　could　not　see　the　significance　of　these　events。　The　next　clipping　was　of　an　event　in　Hiroshima；　Japan。　Several　people　in　a　park　repotted　a　strange　shower　of　flowers。　Not　just　a　few；　but　thousands；　they　fell　in　torrents；　burying　a　woman　and　a　child。　Something　about　the　event　suddenly　tickled　Terry's　mind；　but　Bill　interrupted　his　thoughts。　〃I　can't　make　heads　or　tails　out　of　this。　Let's　go。〃　Terry　started　toward　the　door　but　Bill　began　taking　the　puter　apart　and　putting　the　pieces　into　a　puter　pack…the　monitor；　the　keyboard；　and　the　mouse。　There　was　no　place　for　the　hard　drive；　so　Bill　stacked　it　on　top　of　the　pack。　Then　he　noticed　Terry　watching。
　〃Don't　stand　there；　Terry。　Gather　up　anything　and　everything。〃
　Not　certain　enough　to　resist　Bill；　Terry　gathered　up　the　file　folder　with　the　clippings；　then　the　books；　using　Kenny's　bedspread　to　make　a　sack。　Bill　followed　his　example；　and　they　filled　a　bedspread；　a　blanket；　and　a　sheet。　When　Terry　reached　up　for　the　last　of　the　books；　he　noticed　a　jar　at　the　end　of　the　shelf。　He　picked　it　up　and　shook　it。　It　was　full　of　dried　corn。
　When　Terry　and　Bill　left；　dragging　their　improvised　bags　behind　them；　Terry；　guilt…ridden；　knew　Bill　felt　like　they　had　acplished　something；　but　Terry　was　sure　only　that　they　had　just　burgled　Kenny　Randall's　room。
　As　planned；　Angie　and　Ellen　were　in　the　coffee　shop。　Ellen's　face　told　Terry　something　was　wrong　before　his　wife　blurted　it　out。
　〃We've　got　to　get　home；　Terry。　We've　got　to　find　John。〃
　〃What　is　it；　Ellen？　What's　happened　to　John？〃
　〃Maybe　nothing。　I　don't　know；　but　Portland　is　gone。〃
　
　24。　　ROGUES'　GALLERY
　
　He　was　found　on　the　piaza　in　Mexico　City；　dressed　in　his　resplendent　uniform　and　carrying　a　strange　gun。　He　was　very　confused　and　thought　he　was　in　Manila；　Philippines。　He　said　he　was　looking　for　the　governor's　palace；　to　which　he　hod　been　posted　that　morning。　We　were　later　to　confirm　he　was　telling　the　truth。　In　what　manner　he　was　so　instantly　transported　no　one　has　yet　to　explain。
　…Mexico　Gty；　October　1593
　
　Washington；　D。C。
　POSTQUILT：　SUNDAY；　1：40　P。M。　　EST
　
　　Elizabeth's　organizational　instincts　expanded　well　beyond　the　President's　needs；　and　it　was　no　surprise　to　Nick　when　she　presented　him　with　a　schedule　of　activities。　He　was　only　mildly　irritated　by　Elizabeth's　intrusion。　Nick　admitted　to　himself　he　was　stumbling　blindly。
　He　had　accessed　the　PresNet；　the　puter　network　of　presidential　science　advisors。　PresNet　was　Dr。　Gogh's　achievement。　One　of　his　strengths　was　in　organization。　He'd　managed　to　negotiate　an　appropriation　out　of　Congress　to　fund　his　dream。　Using　the　prestige　of　the　White　House；　and　the　money　from　Congress；　he'd　recruited　a　far…flung　group　of　scientists　from　all　disciplines　to　serve　as　the　〃President's　Science　Advisor　Associates。〃　The　networked　scientists　received　the　prestige　of　being　part　of　an　elite　group；　state…of…the…art　puter　equipment；　and　perceived　access　to　the　White　House。　More　practically　they　received　unlimited　database　access；　on…line　superputer　time；　and　the　means　to　municate　with　colleagues　across　the　country　through　the　sophisticated　puter　network。
　Nick　guessed　that　Gogh　never　imagined　the　network　would　be　used　in　the　way　Nick　was　using　it。　Unfortunately；　big　chunks　of　the　network　were　down；　and　those　ing　on…line　were　seeking　as　much　information　as　they　were　providing。
　The　few　on　the　network　reported　that　physical　changes　had　been　wrought；　apparently　instantly；　in　widespread　parts　of　the　country；　with　no　obvious　connection。　Nick　had　two　assistants　working　on　assessing　the　amount　of　affected　acreage；　and　once　he　had　enough　data；　patterns　might　present　themselves；　and　theories　could　be　generated。　At　least　that　was　the　idea。　But　the　only　pattern　Nick　could　discern　was　no　pattern。
　There　were　now　〃confirmed〃　reports　of　changes　in　other　parts　of　the　world；　including　Russia。　Cannon　had　sent　over　these　new　reports　with　a　note　emphasizing　that　〃only　confirmed　reports　were　reliable　and　only　these　reports　should　be　shared　with　the　President。〃　Nick　wondered　what　criteria　the　CIA　used　to　decide　if　a　report　was　〃confirmed〃？　Three　reliable　witnesses　？　Ten　？　Did　one　of　them　have　to　be　a　CIA　agent　？　N　ick　also　had　a　copy　of　the　administration's　policy　on　leaking　information　and　an　admonition　to　keep　the　Security　Council　discussions　to　himself。　The　note　ended　with　Cannon's　scrawled　signature　and　a　handwritten　note　stating；　〃we　still　have　no　confirmed　reports　of　dinosaurs。〃
　The　schedule　Elizabeth　imposed　on　Nick　was　grueling。　She　checked　with　Nick　on　the　hour　to　see　if　he　had　a　solution　to　the　problem　yet；　and　at　the　same　time　scheduled　a　series　of　interviews　for　him　with　people　who　claimed　to　know　what　was　going　on。　The　list　included　three　psychics　who　had　predicted　cataclysmic　events；　two　religious　fanatics　from　cults　that　preached　the　end　of　the　world；　and　a　man　who　had　been　arrested　in　front　of　the　Capitol　Building　for　taking　off　his　clothes　and　masturbat