jdavid.footprintsofthunder-第6部分
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Kenny's eyes were still unfocused； but he seemed to be taking the whole group in。 Terry wondered if he was monitoring the progress of the military man。
〃I don't want to talk about it。〃
〃What don't you want to talk about； Kenny？〃
〃About what is going to happen。〃
〃Kenny； I want to understand this。 What is going to happen？〃
Kenny's eyes finally focused on Terry。 His direct stare； gun in his hand； twisted Terry's stomach into a knot。
〃I already told you。 The world is going to end。〃
〃How； Kenny？ How will the world end？〃
〃You don't believe me。 No one believes me。 I tried to tell people but no one would listen。 No one would believe me when I told them。 I even tried to show them； but they wouldn't see it。〃 Then with bitterness in his voice； and a nod toward his sister； he added； 〃Even my own family wouldn't believe me。〃
Terry had worked with a number of paranoid patients before and Kenny seemed to have the symptoms。 Kenny believed he had secret knowledge； something he had discovered and something only he could understand。 If Kenny was paranoid then he was potentially dangerous。
〃Kenny； you haven't told me about it yet。 I promise you I will try to understand。〃
〃I told you； he thinks the sky is falling；〃 Kenny's sister said。 Kenny's eyes flamed and his face reddened。 〃You never really listened to me； did you； Jill？ I never said the sky was falling。 I said things were falling from the sky。 There's a difference； a big difference。 I have the proof too； but you wouldn't look at it； would you？〃
Terry saw Kenny's anger was welling up and worried it might drive Kenny to lash outmaybe with the gun。 Terry decided to try again to deflect Kenny's attention from his sister。 He could see Kenny loved her； but her ments were provoking Kenny's anger。
〃Kenny； I really would like to hear your story…theory。〃 Kenny sat silently； breathing deeply and staring at Terry。 Terry； afraid that murder was going through the kid's mind； was relieved when Kenny finally spoke。
〃All right； smart man。 Can you understand why corn falls from a clear blue sky？ Can you understand why people suddenly burst into flame？ Can you understand how whole civilizations simply disappear？ At first we couldn't either。 But then we found someone else who had seen it； someone a long time ago。 Everyone thought he was crazy too。 He understood it； and so did we finally。 We proved it just as scientists should。 We had the data； the theory； and the evidence； and still no one believed us。〃
Kenny looked lost in thought for a minute； a pained expression on his face。 Then Kenny's expression changed to profound sadness； and he spoke again。
〃I wish to God that corn had rained on someone else。 Maybe I was meant to know。 Maybe I stumbled into it accidentally。 It doesn't matter now； it will be over soon。〃
From a professional viewpoint； Terry saw much to explore in what Kenny had blurted out。 He was emoting freely； and if this had been a therapy session Terry would have followed each lead deep into Kenny's subconscious。 Things falling from the sky； people burning； the mention of God。 Were people being burned for their sins？ Who were the 〃we〃 Kenny referred to and who was the person from long ago？ But Kenny wasn't a patient and certainly wouldn't cooperate。 Terry knew he had to focus on their immediate situation。 Even the briefest therapy was no good here。
〃Will we burst into flame； Kenny？ Is that what's going to happen？〃 Terry worried that Kenny might have a can of gasoline in that yellow backpack； and when the world didn't end he might try to simulate it。
〃No； we're not going to burn； at least I don't think so。 Not down this far。 I hope not； but I don't。 。 。〃 Kenny's sentence trailed off and his face showed confusion and then anger。 〃How am I supposed to know？ Jeez； I'm not some sort of Einstein。 I only know it's going to happen。〃 Kenny glanced at his watch。 〃And it's going to happen soon。〃
〃Are you expecting a nuclear attack； Kenny？ Is that why some people will burn？〃
〃No； nothing like that。。。 well。。。〃 Kenny's lips pulled up briefly into a smile。 〃In a way it is a nuclear attack。 But it is more than that； it's natural too。〃
〃A natural nuclear attack。 Can you explain that； Kenny？〃
Kenny quickly lost his smile。
〃No； I can't。 I won't。 If I'm wrong you'll all be free soon。 If I'm right you'll be thanking me。 I won't talk anymore。〃
Kenny dug into his backpack and brought out a handful of granola bars and tossed them into the group。
〃Here； eat something。〃
Slowly the group passed them around。 Only the children ate。
7。 CHICKEN LITTLE SUMMER
Seven solor ages are referred to in Mayan manuscripts； in Buddhist sacred books； in the books of the Sibyl。。。。 The 〃suns〃 are explained （by the sources themselves） as consecutive epochs； each of which went down in a great； general destruction。
…Immanuel Velikovsky； Worlds in Collision
Oregon Caves
PREQUILT： SATURDAY； 4：15 P。M。 PST
Kenny sat with his back to the cave entrance and his eyes fixed forward。 He couldn't bring himself to look any of them in the eye。 It was too painful。 He could see what they were thinking。 It didn't matter what the old lady said； or the other man。 They all thought he was crazy。 But I'm not crazy； he told himself over and over again。 I'm not crazy！ He wished the others from Dr。 Piltcher's group were here so they could back him up； testify to what they all sincerely believed。 They had figured it out； but more importantly they had proved it。
Their first real success came just after the Fourth of July。 Kenny and Phat had worked every night in June on the program； trying to refine the geographical and temporal predictions； but felt trapped in a vicious cycle。 If they could successfully predict even a single fall； they could refine their model； but until they predicted a fall； the imperfect model couldn't define the location of an event。 So night after night the other students and volunteers sat at picnic tables in the campgrounds； and by propane light bed through newspapers searching for the impossible。 Dr。 Piltcher and Dr。 Coombs sat at another table； poring over the Zorastrus manuscript and other ancient texts； trying to find historical data to help shape the model。 Phat and Kenny sat in Dr。 Piltcher's RV； writing and rewriting the program。 Around eleven the group would drift off to bed。 Mrs。 Wayne usually retired just before eleven； when her spirit guide Shontel made herself available。 Sometimes Ernie Powell sat with Mrs。 Wayne and listened to her messages from 〃Shontel；〃 but most nights he spent a few minutes in the minivan picking up the baseball scores before retiring to his tent。 On some nights Petra Zalewski and Colter Swenson took a sleeping bag and went for a walk。 Petra was a student at Oregon Institute of Technology； but Colter was enrolled at Southern Oregon State College； which he'd chosen from a list of best 〃party schools〃 he found in Playboy。 They had been strangers before joining the group。 Dr。 Piltcher and Dr。 Coombs often debated late into the evening； long after Kenny and Phat exhausted their creative reservoirs。
The pattern continued； day after day； week after week。 Every few days Dr。 Piltcher and Dr。 Coombs came to Kenny and Phat and asked for a location and a date。 Kenny and Phat ran the program and made the prediction。 Then the group would be on the move again。 They had started in South Dakota and were working roughly west while zigzagging north and south。 Kenny knew if the predictions brought them to the Pacific Coast without success it would be over。
The break came one night in a Montana campground near Glacier National Park。 They spent the early part of the evening shooting off fireworks to celebrate the Fourth of July； and then settled down to b through local newspapers for any strange events that would fit the model。 It was nearly eleven that night when Petra found a story in a local weekly paper about a boy swept off a three…wheeled motorbike by a flash flood。 The boy suffered a broken arm。 Two peculiarities made the story stand out。 First； although flash floods were mon； there had been no rain to account for the flood； at least none anyone reported。 The article quoted a weatherman describing it as a freak local shower。 The second peculiarity was that the nearly drowned boy said the water tasted salty。 After hearing the story； Dr。 Piltcher finger…bed his thin white hair ten strokes before responding。 Ten strokes meant he was convinced。
〃That's one；〃 he said； turning to look at Dr。 Coombs。 〃It's ing； Doctor。〃
Dr。 Coombs nodded solemnly。
〃Mr。 Randall； Mr。 Nyang；〃 Dr。 Piltcher continued。 〃Add this to your model。〃
Kenny and Phat had taken the data and tried to fit it to the model。 Failing that； they worked late into the night adjusting the model to the data。 The next morning Dr。 Piltcher and Dr。 Coombs arrived with the expected request for the location and the time。
〃Thirteen days； plus or minus forty…eight hours；〃 Phat said。
〃And the location？〃 Dr。 Piltcher asked。
〃I've always wanted to see Yellowstone National Park；〃 Kenny answered。
They stayed three more days in the campground； making side trips to libraries； retirement homes； and newspaper offices in local towns； looking for more reports of unusual events。 Petra and Mrs。 Wayne were assigned to find and talk to the boy or his family about the incident。 They found the boy and visited the site； but found no evidence that would help confirm the incident。 No pockets of water； no fish； no aquatic vegetation。 Dr。 Piltcher remained certain though。 〃This；〃 he said after finger…bing his hair six times； 〃was an event。〃
They camped outside of Yellowstone for a few days； making side trips to libraries； newspaper offices； and museums； and then moved in early one morning to make sure they could get enough campsites together。 Yellowstone was the worst possible location to experience an event。 It was forested and mountainous； and while there were numerous meadows and fire…thinned sections of forest； visual identification of an event would be near impossible。 Dr。 Piltcher was particularly frustrated； because he felt so close to success and saw it slipping away。 As the first possible date approached； Dr。 Piltcher and Dr。 Coombs worried over how to dist
