jdavid.footprintsofthunder-第57节

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t　is　time　displaced　suddenly　appears　in　a　region　of　space　occupied　by　matter　traveling　in　normal　space　time。　These　clumps　would　then　coalesce　into　galaxies　and　solar　systems。　The　missing　matter　isn't　really　missing；　it　has　only　been　time　displaced　and　has　been；　and　will　continue；　to　appear。　What　we　have　experienced　is　a　smaller　version　of　what　is　a　natural　cosmic　event。〃
　Gogh　frowned　darkly；　immediately　rejecting　a　theory　he　had　considered　for　only　a　few　minutes。　〃The　mass　is　insufficient　to　produce　the　effect　you　claim。〃　He　shoved　his　yellow　pad　across　the　table　toward　Nick。　It　was　covered　with　putations。　Nick　ignored　it　but　Gogh　continued；　〃There　are　theories　to　account　for　both　the　lumpy　universe　and　the　missing　matter。〃
　〃But　no　unified　theory　that　takes　into　account　both；　plus　the　unexplained　historical　events　and　the　time　displacement　we　have　experienced。　As　to　the　insufficient　mass　to　produce　the　effect；　you're　looking　for　enough　mass　to　produce　a　black　hole　and　a　plete　disruption　of　the　laws　of　physics。　My　theory　doesn't　require　a　wormhole；　only　a　ripple　in　the　space/time　continuum　。　。　。　a　black　ripple；〃　Nick　argued。
　Silence　returned　as　every　mind　in　the　room　tried　to　digest　the　ideas　presented。
　Then　the　secretary　of　defense　leaned　forward　to　make　eye　contact　with　the　President。　Natalie　Matsuda　was　a　listener；　not　a　talker；　but　when　she　talked；　she　used　such　force　and　seriousness　that　her　few　words　had　enormous　impact。
　〃Mr。　President；　I've　read　reams　of　reports　on　what　has　happened；　but　I've　seen　only　two　theories　to　explain　it。　One　is　supernatural　punishment；　which　I'm　not　prepared　to　accept。　So　I　suggest　we　accept　Dr。　Paulson's　theory　as　our　working　assumption　and　move　on　from　there。〃
　〃I　agree；　Natalie。〃　The　President　looked　relieved　and　seemed　anxious　to　move　on。　〃Arnie；　I　appreciate　your　input。　It's　important　for　us　to　get　all　perspectives　on　a　problem；　but　please　put　aside　your　concerns　for　now　and　work　with　this　new　theory。　I　want　all　of　you　and　your　respective　departments　to　go　to　work　on　a　way　of　reversing　what　has　happened。　Let's　get　our　people　back。〃
　As　the　President　broke　up　the　meeting　he　whispered　to　Elizabeth；　who　moved　to　Nick　and　held　him　back　until　the　others　left。　This　time　the　President　spoke　without　waiting　for　a　whisper　from　Elizabeth。
　〃Nick；　when　time　displacement　takes　place；　what　happens　to　the　people　displaced？　Where　do　they　go？〃
　〃I'm　not　sure；　sir。　1　believe　they　are　displaced　into　the　future　or　the　past。〃
　〃The　past？　I　thought　everything　was　pushed　forward。　We　don't　have　any　reports　of　people　from　the　future　appearing；　do　we？〃
　〃No；　sir。　But　if　we　assume　that　the　sections　of　land　displaced　are　swapped　with　sections　of　land　in　the　past　or　the　future；　and　this　happens　in　a　predictable　way；　then　in　the　future　we　would　avoid　building　on　these　sites。　We　should　be　able　to　determine　this　by　examining　the　flora　and　fauna；　but　it　hasn't　been　done　yet。〃
　〃So　one　of　our　cities　could　have　ended　up　in　a　prehistoric　period？〃
　〃Yes；　sir。〃　Nick　wanted　to　add　there　was　a　seventy　percent　chance　the　city　had　ended　up　in　an　ocean；　but　the　President　seemed　pained　enough。
　The　President　thanked　Nick　and　urged　him　to　get　to　work　on　a　solution。　Nick　didn't　bother　to　protest。　As　they　were　leaving；　Elizabeth　turned　and　slipped　Nick　another　worried　look。
　
　40。　　　FIRST　KILLS
　
　The　extinction　of　the　Cretaceous　terrestrial　vertebrates　was　one　of　the　five　greatest　extinctions　in　history。　The　cause　of　such　a　mass　extinction；　and　its　nature；　has　long　been　debated；　yet　remains　a　mystery。
　…K。　Carmen　Sontag；　Nature's　Lost　Species
　
　Forest；　former　site　of　Portland；　Oregon
　POSTQUILT：　TUESDAY；　7：03　A。M。　PST
　
　　The　sun　was　peeking　through　the　trees　when　something　moving　through　the　ferns　woke　John。　He　bolted　upright　and　carne　face…to…face　with　a　dinosaur；　its　head　about　half　the　size　of　John's　and　its　mouth　full　of　greens。　When　John　screamed　with　the　shock；　the　dinosaur's　mouth　dropped　open　and　the　half　chewed　ferns　dropped　in　John's　lap。　Spinning　around；　it　took　off　in　the　opposite　direction；　its　long　tail　whipping　around　behind　and　toward　John's　head。　He　rolled　with　the　blow；　but　even　so　the　tail　knocked　him　sideways　and　out　of　the　fern　patch。　He　jumped　to　his　feet　and　looked　around　wildly；　scanning　for　other　dinosaurs；　but　saw　only　the　tail　of　the　little　one　disappearing　into　the　underbrush。　Then　he　heard　Cubby　laughing。
　〃Jeez；　John。　You　kill　a　tyrannosaurus　one　minute　and　then　you're　running　from　a　baby　the　next。　My　hero！〃
　〃I　was　just　surprised；　that's　all；〃　John　argued　lamely。　Then　trying　to　hide　his　embarrassment　said；　〃Anyway；　I　don't　think　that　was　a　tyrannosaurus　last　night。　It　was　too　small　and　its　front　legs　were　too　long。　Besides；　I　didn't　kill　that　dinosaur；　I　just　made　it　mad。〃
　〃Maybe。　But　a　needle　in　the　eye　ain't　bad。　Maybe　it'll　die　of　infection？　Maybe　it's　on　its　way　for　a　tetanus　shot　right　now；〃
　Cubby　laughed　at　his　own　joke　and　John　joined　in。
　〃Wait'll　its　mom　finds　out　what　happened；　I　can　hear　its　mama　now。　'I　told　you　not　to　play　with　sticks；　and　if　I've　told　you　once　I've　told　you　a　hundred　times　you'll　put　your　eye　out。'　〃
　Cubby　and　John　laughed　together。　It　was　the　first　time　John　had　felt　good　since　Ripman　disappeared。　Sitting　in　this　weird　forest；　and　laughing　at　stupid　jokes；　John　understood　why　he　was　friends　with　Cubby　and　Ripman。　This　was　the　feeling　they　had　shared　riding　in　Cubby's　van；　sipping　Big　Gulps；　and　insulting　each　other。　They　were　too　different　to　be　lifelong　friends；　John　had　always　known　that。　Someday　Cubby　would　follow　his　dad　into　the　ministry；　John　would　go　off　to　college；　and　Ripman　。　。　。　well；　Ripman　would　be　Ripman。　They　would　keep　in　touch　for　a　while；　but　eventually；　John　thought　to　himself；　we'll　be　so　different　that　we'll　even　stop　sending　Christmas　cards。　Knowing　that　made　John　even　more　determined　to　enjoy　the　feeling　while　he　could。
　Cubby　and　John　still　had　their　packs；　so　they　ate　the　last　of　their　energy　bars　and　emptied　their　canteens；　then　took　stock　of　what　they　had　left。　There　was　still　a　little　trail　mix　but　it　wouldn't　last　the　day。　They　both　had　their　hunting　knives　and　packs　and　John　still　had　the　snake…bite　kit。　John　had　been　so　afraid　the　night　before；　his　hand　had　frozen　around　his　bow；　and　they　found　it　in　the　fern　patch。　Cubby's　bow　and　their　quivers　of　arrows；　however；　were　back　in　the　forest。
　〃I'll　tell　you　what；　John；〃　Cubby　said；　pulling　a　coin　out　his　pocket。　〃We'll　flip　to　see　who　goes　back　for　the　arrows。　Heads；　I　stay　here　and　you　go　back；　tails；　you　go　back　and　I　stay　here。〃
　〃Screw　you；　Cubby。　Maybe　we　can　make　some　arrows？〃　John　pulled　out　his　hunting　knife　and　started　looking　for　a　straight　branch。
　〃Maybe　Ripman　could；　but　you　and　I　will　be　lucky　to　keep　ourselves　off　some　dinosaur's　menu；〃　Cubby　said。　They　both　knew　it　was　true。　〃Even　if　we　could　make　some　arrows；　you　saw　how　much　good　my　arrow　did　with　that　one　last　night；　and　it　had　a　steel　tip。　What　do　you　think　a　sharpened　stick　would　do？　Besides；　do　you　want　to　sit　still　long　enough　to　make　some　arrows？　We're　almost　to　Portland；　and　I　say　we　keep　going。　Hey；　we　get　to　my　house　and　my　mom　will　cook　us　up　hash　browns　and　eggs；　and　some　of　that　thick　bacon　you　like。　Rip…man's　probably　already　there　laughing　at　us　because　we're　taking　so　long。〃
　Cubby　was　sniffing　at　a　make…believe　plate　and　rolling　his　eyes。　John　had　eaten　at　Cubby's　before　and　it　was　always　a　feast。　His　mother；　a　transplanted　southerner；　was　the　best　cook　in　Portland。　John's　mom　was　a　good　cook；　but　her　beans　tasted　like　beans。　Cubby's　mom's　beans　had　bacon　bits　and　two　or　three　spices；　making　them　a　full　meal。　Now　John's　stomach　was　doing　his　thinking　for　him。
　They　left　the　useless　bow　behind　and　started　off　through　the　jungle。　As　John　followed　Cubby　the　good　feeling　was　lost；　replaced　by　fear。　The　arrows　hadn't　been　much　more　than　a　security　blanket；　but　now　even　they　were　gone。　They　had　already　been　chased　by　dinosaurs　twice。　He　wondered　what　the　odds　were　of　getting　away　three　times。　They　walked　on　in　silence；　working　their　way　downhill　and　to　a　creek　bed　with　pools　in　it。　From　the　look　of　the　banks；　the　creek　was　once　a　foot　or　two　deep。
　〃Wonder　what　happened　to　the　water？〃　John　asked。
　〃Maybe　some　dino　got　thirsty　and　slurped　it　up。〃　Cubby　meant　it　as　a　joke；　but　that　started　both　of　them　looking　around　cautiously。
　They　found　a　clear　pool　and　dipped　their　canteens　in；　watching　the　bubbles　break　on　the　surface。　Cubby　ran　his　fingers　around　the　edge　of　the　pool　a　couple　of　times；　then　his　eyebrows　went　up　and　he　jerked　his　canteen　out　of　the　water　and　fumbled　the　cap　back　on。
　〃What's　up；　Cubby？〃
　〃Take　a　look　at　these　pools。　Notice　anything？〃
　To　John；　they　seemed　just　ordinary　water。　Then　it　hit　him。　The　pools　were　in　pairs；　two　straight　lines；　one　on　each　side　of　the　creek　bed。　He　saw　Cubby　disappearing　into　the　trees　and　followed；　nearly　running　into　him。　John　looked　down　and　saw　Cubby's　footprints…two　impressions　in　the　grass　side　by　side…　and　remembered　those　in　the　creek　bed。　The　boys　kept　running。
　
　Ellen　and　Angie　met　Coop's　〃off…road　recreational　enthusiasts〃　early　the　next　morning。　The　group　turned　out　to　look