ssheldon.doomsdayconspiracy-第10部分

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nfinity。　　Flowers　existed　long　before　there　were　human　beings　on　this　earth；　and　they　will　continue　to　exist　for　millions　of　years　after。　　Through　the　flower；　I　talk　to　Infinity。。。
　
　Janus　looked　around　the　enormous　greenhouse　they　were　standing　in。
　
　It　was　filled　with　plants　and　exotic　flowers　that　rainbowed　the　room。
　
　The　mixture　of　perfumes　was　overpowering。
　〃Everything　in　this　room　is　alive；〃　Professor　Rachman　said。
　〃These　plants　can　feel　love；　hate；　pain；　excitement　。。。　　just　as　animals　do。　　Sir　Jagadis　Chandra　Bose　proved　that　they　respond　to　a　tone　of　voice。〃
　〃How　does　one　prove　something　like　that？〃　Janus　asked。
　〃I　will　be　happy　to　demonstrate。〃　　Rachman　walked　over　to　a　table　covered　with　plants。　　Beside　the　table　was　a　polygraph　machine。　　Rachman　lifted　one　of　the　electrodes　and　attached　it　to　a　plant。　　The　needle　on　the　dial　of　the　polygraph　was　at　rest。
　〃Watch；〃　he　said。
　
　He　leaned　closer　to　the　plant　and　whispered；　〃I　think　you　are　very　beautiful。　　You　are　more　beautiful　than　all　the　other　plants　here。　　…。。〃
　
　Janus　watched　the　needle　move　ever　so　slightly。
　
　Suddenly；　Professor　Rachman　screamed　at　the　plant；　〃You　are　ugly！
　
　You　are　going　to　die！　　Do　you　hear　me？　　You　are　going　to　die！〃
　
　The　needle　began　to　quiver；　then　it　moved　sharply　upward。
　〃My　God；〃　Janus　said。
　〃I　can't　believe　it。〃
　〃What　you　see；〃　Rachman　said；　〃is　the　equivalent　of　a　human　being　screaming。　　National　magazines　have　published　articles　about　these　experiments。　　One　of　the　most　interesting　was　a　blind　experiment　conducted　by　six　students。　　One　of　them；　unknown　to　the　others；　was　chosen　to　walk　into　a　room　with　two　plants；　one　of　them　wired　to　a　polygraph。　　He　pletely　destroyed　the　other　plant。　　Later；　one　by　one；　the　students　were　sent　into　the　room　to　pass　by　the　plants。　　When　the　innocent　students　walked　in；　the　polygraph　registered　nothing。　　But　the　moment　the　guilty　one　appeared；　the　needle　on　the　polygraph　shot　up。〃
　〃That's　incredible。〃
　〃But　true。　　We've　also　learned　that　plants　respond　to　different　kinds　of　music。〃
　〃Different　kinds？〃
　〃Yes。　　They　did　an　experiment　at　Temple　Buell　College　in　Denver　where　healthy　flowers　were　put　in　three　separate　glass　cases。　　Acid　rock　was　piped　into　one；　soft　East　Indian　sitar　music　was　piped　into　the　second；　and　the　third　had　no　music。　　A　CBS　camera　crew　recorded　the　experiment　using　time…lapse　photography。　　At　the　end　of　two　weeks；　the　flowers　exposed　to　the　rock　music　were　dead；　the　group　with　no　music　was　growing　normally；　and　the　ones　that　heard　the　sitar　music　had　turned　into　beautiful　blooms；　with　flowers　and　stems　reaching　toward　the　source　of　the　sound。　　Walter　Cronkite　ran　the　film　on　his　news　show。　　If　you　wish　to　check　it；　it　was　on　October　26；　1970。〃
　〃Are　you　saying　plants　have　an　intelligence？〃
　〃They　breathe；　and　eat；　and　reproduce。　　They　can　feel　pain；　and　they　can　utilize　defenses　against　their　enemies。　　For　example；　terpenes　are　used　by　certain　plants　to　poison　the　soil　around　them　and　to　discourage　petitors。　　Other　plants　exude　alkaloids　to　make　them　unpalatable　to　insects。　　We've　proved　that　plants　municate　with　one　another　by　pheromones。〃
　〃Yes。　　I've　heard　of　that；〃　Janus　said。
　〃Some　plants　are　meat　eaters。　　The　venus　flytrap；　for　example。
　
　Certain　orchids　look　and　smell　like　female　bees；　to　decoy　male　bees。
　
　Others　resemble　female　wasps　to　attract　the　males　to　visit　them　and　pick　up　pollen。　　Another　type　of　orchid　has　an　aroma　like　rotting　meat　to　coax　carrion　flies　in　the　neighborhood　to　e　to　them。〃　　Janus　was　listening　to　every　word。
　〃The　pink　lady's…slipper　has　a　hinged　upper　lip　that　closes　when　a　bee　lands；　and　traps　it。　　The　only　escape　is　through　a　narrow　passageway　out　the　rear；　and　as　the　bee　fights　its　way　to　freedom；　it　picks　up　a　cap　of　pollen。　　There　are　five　thousand　flowering　plants　that　grow　in　the　Northeast；　and　each　species　has　its　own　characteristics。　　There　is　no　doubt　about　it。　　It's　been　proven　over　and　over　that　living　plants　have　an　intelligence。〃
　
　Janus　was　thinking：　And　the　missing　alien　is　at　large　somewhere。
　
　Day　Three　Bern；　Switzerland
　
　Wednesday；　October　17
　
　Bern　was　one　of　Robert's　favorite　cities。　　It　was　an　elegant　town；　filled　with　lovely　monuments　and　beautiful　old　stone　buildings　dating　back　to　the　eighteenth　century。　　It　was　the　capital　of　Switzerland　and　one　of　its　most　prosperous　cities；　and　Robert　wondered　whether　the　fact　that　the　streetcars　were　green　had　anything　to　do　with　the　color　of　money。　　He　had　found　that　the　Berners　were　more　easygoing　than　the　citizens　from　other　parts　of　Switzerland。　　They　moved　more　deliberately；　spoke　more　slowly；　and　were　generally　calmer。　　He　had　worked　in　Bern　several　times　in　the　past　with　the　Swiss　Secret　Service；　operating　out　of　their　headquarters　at　Waisenhausplatz。　　He　had　friends　there　who　could　have　been　helpful；　but　his　instructions　were　clear。　　Puzzling；　but　clear。
　
　It　took　fifteen　phone　calls　for　Robert　to　locate　the　garage　that　towed　the　photographer's　car。　　It　was　a　small　garage　located　on　Fribourgstrasse；　and　the　mechanic；　Fritz　Mandel；　was　also　the　owner。
　
　Mandel　appeared　to　be　in　his　late　forties；　with　a　gaunt；　acne…pitted　face；　a　thin　body；　and　an　enormous　beer　belly。　　He　was　working　down　in　the　pit　of　the　grease　rack　when　Robert　arrived。
　〃Good　afternoon；〃　Robert　called。
　
　Mandel　looked　up。
　〃Guten　Tag。　　What　can　I　do　for　you？〃
　〃I'm　interested　in　a　car　you　towed　in　Sunday。〃
　〃Just　a　minute　till　I　finish　this　up。〃
　
　Ten　minutes　later；　Mandel　climbed　out　of　the　pit　and　wiped　his　oily　hands　on　a　filthy　cloth。
　〃You're　the　one　who　called　this　morning。　　Was　there　some　plaint　about　that　tow　job？〃
　
　Mandel　asked。
　〃I'm　not　responsible　for…〃
　〃No；〃　Robert　reassured　him。
　〃Not　at　all。　　I'm　conducting　a　survey；　and　I'm　interested　in　the　driver　of　the　car。〃
　〃e　into　the　office。〃
　
　The　two　men　went　into　the　small　office；　and　Mandel　opened　a　file　cabinet。
　〃Last　Sunday；　you　said？〃
　〃That's　right。〃
　
　Mandel　took　out　a　card。
　〃Ja。　That　was　the　Arschficker　who　took　our　picture　in　front　of　that　UFO。〃　　Robert's　palms　felt　suddenly　moist。
　〃You　saw　the　UFO？〃
　〃Ja。　I　almost　brachte　aus。〃
　〃Can　you　describe　it？〃
　
　Mandel　shuddered。
　〃It…it　seemed　alive。〃
　〃I　beg　your　pardon？〃
　〃I　mean　。。。　　there　was　a　kind　of　light　around　it。　　It　kept　changing　colors。　　It　looked　blue　。。。　　then　green　I　don't　know。　　It's　hard　to　describe。　　And　there　were　these　little　creatures　inside。　　Not　human；　but…〃　He　broke　off。
　〃How　many？〃
　〃Two。〃
　〃Were　they　alive？〃
　〃They　looked　dead　to　me。〃　　He　mopped　his　brow。
　〃I'm　glad　you　believe　me。　　I　tried　to　tell　my　friends；　and　they　laughed　at　me。　　Even　my　wife　thought　I　had　been　drinking。　　But　I　know　what　I　saw。〃
　〃About　the　car　you　towed　…　…　…〃　Robert　said。
　〃Ja。　The　Renault。
　
　It　had　an　oil　leak；　and　the　bearings　burned　out。　　The　tow　job　cost　a　hundred　and　twenty…five　francs。　　I　charge　double　on　Sundays。〃
　〃Did　the　driver　pay　by　check　or　credit　card？〃
　〃I　don't　take　checks；　and　I　don't　take　no　credit　cards。
　
　He　paid　in　cash。〃
　〃Swiss　francs？〃
　〃Pounds。〃
　〃Are　you　sure？〃
　〃Yes。　　I　remember　I　had　to　check　the　rate　of　exchange。〃
　〃Mr。　Mandel；　do　you　happen　to　have　a　record　of　the　license　number　of　the　car？〃
　〃Of　course。〃　　Mandel　said。　　He　glanced　down　at　the　card。
　〃It　was　a　rental。　　Avis。　　He　rented　it　in　Geneva。〃
　〃Would　you　mind　giving　me　that　license　number？〃
　〃Sure；　why　not？〃
　
　He　wrote　the　number　down　on　a　piece　of　paper　and　handed　it　to　Robert。
　〃What　is　this　all　about；　anyway？　　The　UFO　thing？〃
　〃No；〃　Robert　said；　in　his　sincerest　voice。　　He　took　out　his　wallet　and　pulled　out　an　identification　card。
　〃I'm　with　the　IAC；　the　International　Auto　Club。　　My　pany　is　doing　a　survey　on　tow　trucks。〃
　〃Oh。〃
　
　Robert　walked　out　of　the　garage　and　thought　dazedly；　It　looks　like　we　have　a　fucking　UFO　with　two　dead　aliens　on　our　hands。　　Then　why　had　General　Hilliard　lied　to　him　when　he　knew　Robert　would　discover　that　it　was　a　flying　saucer　that　had　crashed？
　
　There　could　only　be　one　explanation；　and　Robert　felt　a　sudden；　cold　chill。
　
　The　huge　mothership　floated　noiselessly　through　dark　space；　seemingly　motionless；　traveling　at　twenty…two　thousand　miles　an　hour　in　exact　synchronization　with　the　orbit　of　the　earth。　　The　six　aliens　aboard　were　studying　the　three…dimensional　field…of…view　optical　screen　that　covered　one　wall　of　the　spaceship。　　On　the　monitor；　as　the　planet　Earth　rotated；　they　watched　holographic　pictures　of　what　lay　below　while　an　electronic　spectrograph　analyzed　the　chemical　ponents　of　the　images　that　appeared。　　The　atmosphere　of　the　land　masses　they　overflew　was　heavily　polluted。　　Huge　factories　befouled　the　air　with　thick；　black；　poisonous　gases　while　unbiodegradable　refuse　was　dumped　into　landfills　and　into　the　seas。　　The　aliens　looked　down　at　the　oceans；　once　pristine　and　blue；　now　black　with　oil　and　brown　with　scum。　　The　coral　of　the　Great　Barrier　Reef　was　turning　bleach…white；　and　fish　were　dying　by　the　billions。　Where　trees　had　been　stripped　in　the　Amazon　rain　forest；　there　was　a　huge；　barren　crater。　　The　instruments　on　the　spaceship　indicated　that　the　earth's　temperature　had　risen　since　their　last　exploration　three　years　earlier。　　They　could　see　wars　being　waged　on　the　planet　below；　which　spewed　new　poisons　into　the　atmosphere。　　The　aliens　municated　by　mental　telepathy。　　Nothing　has　changed　with　the　earthlings。　　It　is　a　pity。　　They　have　learned　nothing。　　We　will　teach　them。
　
　Have　you　tried　to　reach　the　others？　　Yes。　　Something　is　wrong。
　
　There　is　no　reply。
　
　You　must　keep　trying。　　We　must　find　the　ship。
　
　On　earth；　thousands　of　feet　below　the　spaceship's　orbit；　Robert　placed　a　call　from　a　secure　phone　to　General　Hilliard。　　He　came　on　the　line　almost　immediately。
　〃Good　afternoon；　mander。　　Do　you　have　anything　to　report？〃
　
　Yes。　　I　would　like　to　report　that　you　are　a　lying　sonofabitch。
　〃About　that　weather　balloon；　General　…。…　it　seems　to　have　turned　out　to　be　a　UFO。〃　　He　waited。
　〃Yes；　I　know。　　There　were　important　security　reasons　why　I　couldn't　tell　you　everything　earlier。〃
　
　Bure