jdavid.footprintsofthunder-第94部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


　The　network　news　people　were　dominating　the　coverage；　sitting　in　anchor　booths　and　telling　the　camera　what　other　people　were　telling　them。　John　could　only　pick　up　two　of　the　networks；　but　neither　had　its　regular　anchor。　Apparently　the　New　York　problem　had　taken　some　of　the　network　people；　the　second　string　was　now　anchoring　from　Chicago。
　The　news　might　have　been　fresh　at　one　time　but　was　now　a　series　of　recycled　reports；　including　oft…repeated　interviews　with　the　President's　chief　of　staff；　Elizabeth　Hawthorne。　〃The　President　is　devoting　himself　to　dealing　with　the　crisis；　but　will　meet　with　the　press　when　the　time　is　right；〃　Ms。　Hawthorne　was　shown　saying　over　and　over　again。　John　watched　Ms。　Hawthorne　deny　rumors　that　the　President　was　ill；　take　questions　about　relief　efforts；　and　defer　questions　requiring　an　explanation　of　what　had　happened　to　the　President's　science　advisor。
　Dr。　Paulson　was　interviewed　repeatedly　by　the　networks。　He　labeled　what　happened　as　time　quilting；　and　described　it　as　a　natural　result　of　the　interaction　of　strings　of　dense　matter　created　by　nuclear　detonations。　When　asked　if　it　was　true　that　only　the　former　U。S。S。R。　had　detonated　devices　of　sufficient　size　to　create　the　effect；　he　deferred　to　Natalie　Matsuda；　the　secretary　of　defense；　who　proceeded　to　blame　it　on　the　U。S。S。R。　and　single　out　the　Russian　Republic　in　particular　to　inherit　the　blame。　She　also　claimed　credit　for　preventing　a　worse　disaster　with　the　action　taken　in　the　Portland　area。　John　noticed　they　never　referred　to　it　as　a　nuclear　attack；　calling　it　instead　an　〃action。〃
　There　was　quite　a　bit　of　debate　over　what　had　happened　at　Portland。　Some　experts　claimed　the　explosions　destroyed　Portland；　others　claimed　the　blast　more　likely　took　place　somewhere　between　the　two　space/times　involved。　John　thought　of　Cubby　during　these　discussions。　Had　he　been　incinerated　in　a　nuclear　holocaust；　or　was　he　where　he　so　badly　wanted　to　be；　with　his　family　and　church？
　The　networks　interviewed　a　Dr。　Gomez　of　the　Fermi　Institute　about　the　effect　itself；　but　her　explanation　made　little　sense　to　John。　She　talked　of　explosions　in　the　sixties　and　the　time　quilting；　as　if　they　were　concurrent　events。　She　referred　vaguely　to　possible　future　events。　Apparently　the　first　puter　models　had　correctly　predicted　the　focal　point　and　the　time　quilting　but　had　not　projected　the　events　into　the　future。　More　sophisticated　models　were　being　tested　and　some　of　these　projected　additional　events。　She　also　said　something　about　effects　on　the　moon；　but　being　unable　to　confirm　them　until　the　space　program　could　be　reestablished。　That　point　was　then　lost　in　questions　about　identifying　where　the　displaced　people　had　gone。　John　realized　there　was　cold　fort　in　knowing　that　friends　and　relatives　could　be　alive　in　some　other　time　period。
　Dinosaur　horror　stories　filled　the　rest　of　the　news。　Of　course　the　media　concentrated　on　made…in…America　stories。　Attacks　by　tyrannosaurs　were　the　most　popular。　Occasionally　a　story　sympathetic　to　dinosaurs　would　surface。　The　story　of　an　old　woman　in　New　York　with　a　pet　dinosaur　got　a　lot　of　play；　and　John　was　particularly　touched　by　the　story　of　the　mother　apatosaurus　and　her　baby　that　saved　a　shipwrecked　family；　despite　a　killer　whale　attack。　There　were　also　stories　of　organized　protests　of　animal　rights　activists　who　were　fighting　for　dinosaur　rights。　There　were　many　stories　of　food　shortages；　fuel　shortages；　and　medical　supply　shortages。　These　were　invariably　followed　by　predictions　of　more　shortages；　and　how　the　poor　were　disproportionately　affected。　The　only　silver　lining　in　these　reports　was　that　the　human　losses　were　out　of　proportion　to　the　crop　losses。　In　other　words；　they　lost　more　people　than　crops　to　feed　them。
　John's　mother　came　out　of　the　bedroom　to　make　a　cup　of　tea。　Her　right　arm　was　in　a　cast；　which　she　carried　in　a　sling。　He　watched　her　until　he　was　sure　she　could　handle　fixing　the　tea　one…handed。　The　hotshot's　noise　drowned　out　the　sound　of　the　TV。
　Ellen　was　more　animated　now　than　when　she　had　learned　of　her　husband's　death；　but　her　grief　was　still　pounded　by　the　fact　she　had　been　angry　the　last　time　she　saw　him。　She　couldn't　make　peace　with　him　now　and　would　live　the　rest　of　her　life　with　that　knowledge。
　They　couldn't　get　through　to　John's　sister；　Carolyn；　until　after　her　father　had　been　buried。　It　wouldn't　have　mattered　though。　Civilian　air　travel　was　restricted。　Ellen　offered　to　bury　Colonel　Conrad　next　to　John's　father　and　include　Angie's　name　on　the　marker；　but　the　military　took　charge　of　Colonel　Conrad's　body。　John　remembered　vividly　his　mother　sobbing　as　she　explained　what　had　happened　to　Colonel　Conrad's　wife；　and　after　that　Ellen　had　been　more　depressed　than　ever。
　With　her　tea；　his　mother　sat　on　the　other　end　of　the　couch　watching　the　TV。　The　constant　repetition　couldn't　hold　her　attention　any　better　than　it　held　John's；　and　her　eyes　wandered　to　the　window　and　the　distant　ocean。　But　that　only　reminded　her　of　more　death。　Animal　carcasses　mixed　with　debris　had　begun　washing　ashore。　The　carcasses　were　victims　of　nature's　recycling　process　and　hard　to　identify。　Some　of　them　were　dinosaurs；　of　course；　but　with　live　ones　loose　in　the　countryside；　the　carcasses　received　scant　attention。　At　their　beach　house；　John's　parents　used　to　walk　the　shore　endlessly；　occasionally　collecting　glass　floats　or　unusual　pieces　of　driftwood。　To　walk　the　Oregon　beaches　now；　though；　was　to　risk　an　encounter　with　the　bloated　remains　of　a　prehistoric　animal；　victim　of　something　they　could　never　conceive　of。　Most　sickening　of　all　was　the　realization　that　somewhere　in　time　there　were　undoubtedly　human　bodies　washing　ashore　in　the　same　condition。
　The　sound　of　a　car　outside　distracted　them。　They　had　few　friends　at　the　coast；　since　they　were　weekenders；　and　no　one　had　e　by　to　see　them　since　they　moved　in。
　John　opened　the　door　and　stepped　back　with　the　shock。　Cubby's　van　was　parked　behind　Angie's　Jeep。　The　glare　on　the　tinted　windows　prevented　John　from　seeing　inside。　Behind　him　he　heard　his　mother's　gasp　of　recognition。　The　driver's　door　opened；　and　Ripman　stepped　out；　grinning　sheepishly。　They　smiled　at　Ripman　and　then　turned　and　watched　the　other　door。　Ripman　lost　his　grin。
　〃He's　not　with　me。　I　looked　for　Cubby　after　the　。　。　。　light；　bombs；　whatever。　I　never　found　him。　Never　found　Portland　either。　It's　really　gone　now。〃
　Ripman　stayed　by　the　car；　making　no　move　toward　them；　seeming　uncertain。　John　felt　his　mother's　hand　oh　his　shoulder　and　stepped　aside　to　let　her　pass。　She　walked　around　the　car　toward　Ripman。　He　stepped　back；　but　she　kept　ing；　wrapping　her　good　arm　around　him　in　a　big　hug。　Ripman's　hands　went　up；　but　he　couldn't　bring　himself　to　hug　her　back。　His　face　went　red；　but　the　smile　returned。
　〃What's　the　matter；　Ripman？〃　John　teased。　〃A　hug　is　as　elemental　as　things　get。〃
　〃Screw　you；〃　Ripman　mouthed　over　Ellen's　shoulder。
　〃Up　yours；〃　John　replied　silently。
　Ripman　looked　at　John　and　mouthed　the　word　〃El…ah…mental；〃　then　let　his　hands　fall　and　hugged　Ellen　back。
　
　70。　　THE　NEW　COUNTRY
　
　South　Oregon　Coast
　THE　NEW　WORLD
　
　　Petra　was　driving　while　Colter　dozed　in　the　seat　next　to　her。　Peaches　was　cuddled　in　his　arms　and　Moose　was　settled　on　his　shoulder。　Sarah　was　on　her　blanket　beneath　his　feet。　Petra　guided　the　battered　camper　down　a　forest　service　access　road　not　marked　on　many　maps。　The　dirt　road　was　poorly　maintained　and　filled　with　deep　ruts　and　huge　mud　puddles；　and　Petra　could　do　no　more　than　twenty…five　miles　per　hour。　Colter　found　the　road；　remembering　it　from　deer　hunting。　The　main　roads　were　filled　with　confused　people　or　blocked　by　state　police　who　were　restricting　travel。
　Petra　found　herself　driving　along　a　hill　so　steep　it　was　indistinguishable　from　a　cliff。　Some　tractor　driver　had　carved　a　road　across　the　middle。　Tons　of　debris　littered　the　lower　side　of　the　hill；　which　dropped　sharply　to　a　creek。　Rockslides　covered　parts　of　the　road。　Petra　snaked　around　rock　piles；　fearful　of　triggering　another　rock　fall。　Once　across　she　cornered　left　around　a　huge　boulder；　following　the　road　as　it　dropped　off　sharply。　Suddenly　she　was　out　of　the　forest　into　a　clear…cut；　those　great　ugly　scars　that　peppered　Oregon's　great　forests。　Clear…cut　is　a　funny　name；　thought　Petra；　Sure；　the　towering　firs　were　gone　giving　a　clear　view　of　the　sky；　but　nothing　resembling　a　clearing　was　left　behind。　The　〃clear…cut〃　was　filled　with　massive　stumps；　limbs　shaved　from　the　fallen　ancients；　and　junk　timber　felled　to　reduce　the　petition　for　sunlight　for　the　newly　planted　fir　seedlings。
　The　road　led　down　to　the　creek；　which　flowed　over　and　around　boulders　creating　a　swirling　frothing　stream。　Petra　found　herself　hypnotized　by　the　creek　and　slowed　to　enjoy　it。　Something　moved　in　the　trees　on　the　far　side　and　Petra　stopped　to　watch。　Peaches　lifted　her　head　briefly；　looked　around；　and　then　snuggled　into　a　new　position。　Colter　and　Moose　never　moved。　Petra　understood。　She　slept　like　the　dead　now　too。　Her　body　was　still　replenishing　and　renewing　itself；　and　the　poor　little　dinosaurs　had　little　energy　in　the　cool　weather。
　Then　a　doe　walked　out　of　the　forest　and　down　to　the　stream　for　a　drink。　The　deer　stared　at　the　RV　long　and　hard　before　it　finally　dropped　its　head　and　drank。　Petra　watched　with　an　odd　feeling。　Something　as　normal　as　a　deer　now　seemed　strange　to　her。　Petra　had　been　in　the　pany　of　dinosaurs　for　too　long；　she　longed　for　mammals。
　Suddenly　the　deer's　head　snapped　up；　its　oversized　ears　erect　and　cocked　sideways。　Out　of　the　shadows　of　the　forest　came　something　ancient…something　no　deer　had　ever　contended　with。　It　was　five　feet　high；　lizard　green；　and　ran　on　two　large　back　legs。　The　body　of　the　animal　was　small　pared　to　the　massive　head。　The　deer　jumped　but　wasn't　up　to　running　speed　before　the　jaws　of　the　dinosaur　tore　into　the　flesh　of　its　neck。　The　deer　went　down　in　a　tumble　with　the　dinosaur；　rolling　once　and　ending　their　struggle　in　the　stream。
　There　had　never　been　any　doubt　about　the　oute。　When　the　deer　stopped　thrashing　the　dinosaur　dragged　its　kill　from　the　stream　to　the　shore　and　only　then　released　the　death　grip　of　its　jaws。　The　dinosaur　examined　its　kill；　licking　its　lips；　perhaps　tasting