jak.themothmanprophecies-第10部分

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fter　Woody　watched　it　depart。　Another　young　man　said　the　object　had　frightened　him　out　of　his　wits　when　it　hovered　over　his　car　and　flashed　a　powerful；　blinding　light　on　him。
　　
　　Woodrow　Derenberger　became　a　super…celebrity。　Crowds　of　people　gathered　at　his　farm　every　night；　hoping　to　glimpse　a　spaceship。　His　phone　rang　day　and　night。　He　switched　to　an　unlisted　number　but　within　a　short　time　the　calls　began　again。　Crank　calls；　threatening　him　if　he　didn't　〃shut　up。〃　Calls　that　consisted　of　nothing　except　eerie　electronic　sounds　and　codelike　beeps。
　　
　　Mr。　Cold　kept　his　promise。　He　returned。
　　
　　II。　
　　
　　The　Indians　must　have　known　something　about　West　Virginia。　They　avoided　it。　Before　the　Europeans　arrived　with　their　glass　beads；　firewater；　and　gunpowder；　the　Indian　nations　had　spread　out　and　divided　up　the　North　American　continent。　Modern　anthropologists　have　worked　out　maps　of　the　Indian　occupancy　of　pre…Columbian　America　according　to　the　languages　spoken。　（1）　The　Shawnee　and　Cherokee　occupied　the　areas　to　the　south　and　southwest。　The　Monacan　settled　to　the　east；　and　the　Erie　and　Conestoga　claimed　the　areas　north　of　West　Virginia。　Even　the　inhospitable　deserts　of　the　Far　West　were　divided　and　occupied。　There　is　only　one　spot　on　the　map　labeled　〃Uninhabited〃：　West　Virginia。
　　
　　Why？　The　West　Virginia　area　is　fertile；　heavily　wooded；　rich　in　game。　Why　did　the　Indians　avoid　it？　Was　it　filled　with　hairy　monsters　and　frightful　apparitions　way　back　when？
　　
　　Across　the　river　in　Ohio；　industrious　Indians…or　someone…built　the　great　mounds　and　left　us　a　rich　heritage　of　Indian　culture　and　lore。　The　absence　of　an　Indian　tradition　in　West　Virginia　is　troublesome　for　the　researcher。　It　creates　an　unfortable　vacuum。　There　are　strange　ancient　ruins　in　the　state；　circular　stone　monuments　which　prove　that　someone　had　settled　the　region　once。　Since　the　Indians　didn't　build　such　monuments；　and　since　we　don't　even　have　any　lore　to　fall　back　on；　we　have　only　mystery。
　　
　　
　　
　　＇1＇　American　Indian　Linguistic　Families　and　Tribes；　a　map　issued　by　C。S。　Hammond　&　Co。；　New　York。　
　　
　　
　　
　　Chief　Cornstalk　and　his　Shawnees　fought　a　battle　there　in　the　1760s　and　Cornstalk　is　supposed　to　have　put　a　curse　on　the　area　before　he　fell。　But　what　happened　there　before？　Did　someone　else　live　there？
　　
　　The　Cherokees　have　a　tradition；　according　to　Benjamin　Smith　Barton's　New　Views　of　the　Origins　of　the　Tribes　and　Nations　of　America　（1798）；　that　when　they　migrated　to　Tennessee　they　found　the　region　inhabited　by　a　weird　race　of　white　people　who　lived　in　houses　and　were　apparently　quite　civilized。　They　had　one　problem：　their　eyes　were　very　large　and　sensitive　to　light。　They　could　only　see　at　night。　The　fierce　Indians　ran　these　〃mooneyed　people〃　out。　Did　they　move　to　West　Virginia　to　escape　their　tormentors？　There　are　still　rumors　of　an　oddball　group　of　albino　people　in　the　back　hills　of　Kentucky　and　Tennessee。　But　there　are　also　myths　and　rumors　of　mysterious　people　living　in　the　hills　of　New　Jersey　forty　miles　from　Manhattan。
　　
　　III。
　　
　　The　day　before　Woodrow　Derenberger's　unexpected　meeting　with　Mr。　Cold　in　the　rain；　a　national　guardsman　was　working　outside　the　national　guard　armory　on　the　edge　of　Point　Pleasant　when　he　saw　a　figure　perched　on　the　limb　of　a　tree　beyond　the　high　fence。　At　first　he　thought　it　looked　like　a　man；　but　after　he　studied　it　for　awhile　he　decided　it　was　some　kind　of　bird。　The　biggest　bird　he　had　ever　seen。　He　went　to　call　some　friends　and　when　they　came　the　bird　was　gone。
　　
　　IV。
　　
　　On　November　4；　Derenberger　was　riding　with　a　co…worker　on　Route；　7　outside　Parkersburg　when　he　felt　a　tingling　sensation　in　his　forehead。　Then　thoughts　from　Mr。　Cold　began　to　spring　full…blown　into　his　mind。　Cold　explained　that　he　was　from　the　planet　of　Lanulos　which　was　in　the　〃galaxy　of　Ganymede。〃　Lanulos；　he　said；　was　very　like　the　earth；　with　flora；　fauna；　and　seasons。　He　was　married　to　a　lady　named　Kimi　and　had　two　sons。　Folks　on　Lanulos　had　a　life　expectancy　of　125…175　earth　years。　Naturally　there　was　no　war；　poverty；　hunger；　or　misery　on　Lanulos。
　　
　　When　the　transmission　was　pleted；　Cold　urged　Woody　to　brace　himself　because　withdrawal　would　be　painful。　Woody　felt　a　sharp　pain　in　his　temple　and　nearly　passed　out。
　　
　　Two　weeks　later；　though　Woody　wasn't　aware　of　it　at　the　time；　two　salesmen　visited　Mineral　Wells　and　went　from　house　to　house　with　their　wares。　They　weren't　very　interested　in　making　sales。　At　one　house　they　offered　Bibles。　At　another；　hardware。　At　a　third　they　were　〃Mormon　missionaries　from　Salem　Oregon〃　（a　UFO　wave　was　taking　place　in　Salem　at　that　time）。　One　man　was　tall；　blond；　and　looked　like　a　Scandinavian。　His　partner　was　short　and　slight；　with　pointed　features　and　a　dark　olive　plexion。　They　asked　questions　about　Woody　and　were　particularly　interested　in　opinions　on　the　validity　of　his　alleged　contact。
　　
　　V。
　　
　　〃Old　Bandit's　gone；〃　the　six…year…old　boy　said　sadly。　〃Mister；　do　you　think　you　can　bring　him　back？〃
　　
　　Gray　Barker　shifted　his　large　frame　uneasily。　The　boy's　father；　Newell　Partridge；　ordered　the　child　off　to　bed。
　　
　　〃It's　all　so　weird；〃　Partridge　plained。　〃I　just　can't　figure　it　out。〃
　　
　　Barker　smiled　understandingly。　Ever　since　he　had　investigated　the　Flatwoods　monster　back　in　1952；　he　had　been　listening　to　weird　stories。　A　pioneer　ufologist；　Gray　had　made　many　outstanding　contributions　to　the　subject。　He　had　also　managed　to　make　himself　a　somewhat　controversial　character　in　a　field　riddled　with　controversies　and　characters。　The　diehard　fanatics　who　dominated　sauceriana　during　the　early　years　were　a　humorless　lot　and　Gray's　mischievous　wit　baffled　and　enraged　them。　At　times　it　baffled　me；　too。　This　towering　bear　of　a　man　was　very　hard　to　〃read。〃　But　his　investigations　were　always　thorough　and　unpromising。
　　
　　Now　he　was　sitting　in　the　home　of　Newell　Partridge　near　Salem；　West　Virginia；　talking　about　an　errant　television　set　and　a　missing　dog。　On　the　evening　of　November　14　1966；　Bandit；　a　big；　muscular　German　shepherd；　had　dashed　into　the　darkness　and　vanished。
　　
　　〃It　was　about　10：30　that　night；　and　suddenly　the　TV　blanked　out；〃　Partridge　said。　〃A　real　fine　herringbone　pat…ten　appeared　on　the　tube；　and　at　the　same　time　the　set　started　a　loud　whining　noise；　winding　up　to　a　high　pitch；　peaking　and　breaking　off；　as　if　you　were　on　a　musical　scale　and　you　went　as　high　as　you　could　and　came　back　down　and　repeated　it。　。。。　It　sounded　like　a　generator　winding　up。　It　reminded　me　of　a　hand　field　generator　that　one　might　use　for　portable　radio　transmission　in　an　emergency。〃
　　
　　Outside　on　the　porch；　Bandit　began　wailing。　Partridge　picked　up　a　flashlight　and　went　outside　to　investigate。
　　
　　〃The　dog　was　sitting　on　the　end　of　the　porch；　howling　down　toward　the　hay　barn　in　the　bottom；〃　Partridge　continued。　〃I　shined　the　light　in　that　direction；　and　it　picked　up　two　red　circles；　or　eyes；　which　looked　like　bicycle　reflections。　Still　there　was　something　about　those　eyes　that　is　difficult　to　explain。　When　I　was　a　kid　I　night…hunted　all　the　time；　and　I　certainly　know　what　animal　eyes　look　like…such　as　coon；　dog　and　cat　eyes　in　the　dark。　These　were　much　larger　for　one　thing。　It's　a　good　length　of　a　football　field　to　that　hay　barn。　Probably　about　150　yards；　still　those　eyes　showed　up　huge；　for　that　distance。〃
　　
　　As　soon　as　the　flashlight　picked　out　the　〃eyes〃　Bandit　snarled　and　ran　toward　them。　A　〃cold　chill〃　swept　over　the　man　and　he　felt　a　wave　of　fear　which　kept　him　from　following　the　dog。
　　
　　That　night　he　slept　with　a　loaded　gun　beside　his　bed。
　　
　　The　next　day　he　went　looking　for　the　dog。
　　
　　〃I　walked　out　to　the　barn；　looking　for　tracks。　Here　and　there　I　could　see　Bandit's　paw　prints。　These　were　rather　easy　to　find；　for　he　was　a　heavy　dog；　and　the　area　was　muddy。〃
　　
　　At　the　approximate　position　of　the　〃eyes〃　he　found　a　large　number　of　dog　tracks。
　　
　　〃Those　tracks　were　going　in　a　circle；　as　if　the　dog　had　been　chasing　his　tail；〃　Partridge　explained；　〃though　he　never　did　that。　And　that　was　that。　I　couldn't　see　them　go　off　anywhere；　though　I　did　see　a　series　of　fresh　tracks　which　apparently　led　from　the　porch　to　the　spot　where　he　ran　in　circles。　There　were　no　other　tracks　of　any　kind。〃
　　
　　Bandit　simply　vanished　into　thin　air。
　　
　　〃I　think　that　the　hardest　thing　to　explain　is　the　feeling　involved　。。。　except　to　say　it　was　an　eerie　feeling。　I　have　never　had　this　sort　of　feeling　before。　It　was　as　if　you　knew　something　was　wrong；　but　couldn't　place　just　what　it　was。〃
　　
　　Sudden　fear。　Eerie　feelings。　Something　unnatural　was　stalking　the　hills　of　West　Virginia　that　November。　The　fear　would　bee　contagious。　Those　frightening　red　eyes　would　settle　in　Point　Pleasant；　while　Mr。　Cold　and　his　crew　of　cosmic　zanies　would　spread　their　propaganda　in　Mineral　Wells；　forsaking　their　flying　lantern　chimney　for　a　black　Volkswagen。　
　　
　　
　　　6　…　Mothman！
　　
　　I。
　　
　　High　explosives　were　manufactured　in　Point　Pleasant　during　World　War　II。　Seven　miles　outside　of　town　part　of　the　2；500…acre　McClintic　Wildlife　Station；　an　animal　preserve　and　bird　sanctuary；　was　ripped　up。　Miles　of　underground　tunnels　were　dug；　linking　camouflaged　buildings　and　factories。　One　hundred　〃igloos〃　were　scattered　across　the　fields　and　woods…huge　concrete　domes　with　heavy　steel　doors　where　the　finished　explosives　could　be　safely　stored。　Dirt　and　grass　covered　the　domes　so　from　the　air　the　whole　area　had　a　harmless；　pastoral　appearance。　A　few　scattered　buildings　linked　by　unimproved　dirt　roads　with　no　suggestion　of　all　the　activity　going　on　below　ground。　It　looked　like　nothing　more　than　what　it　was　supposed　to　be；　a　haven　for　birds　and　animals　in　the　Ohio　River　valley。
　　
　　After　the　war　most　of　the　explosives　were　carted　away。　The　factories　were　dismantled。　The　entrances　and　exits　of　the　tunnels　were　plugged　with　thick　concrete　slabs。　Some　of　the　igloos　were　given　to　the　Mason　County　government　as　possible　storage　vaults。　They　still　stand　empty。　Others　were　sold　to　the　Trojan…U。S。　Powder　Co。　and　the　LFC　Chemical　Co。　Some　were　leas