p&c.brimstone-第40部分

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lashing　in　the　brilliant　sun；　heading　west　toward　Barstow。　
　Reverend　Buck…the　title　was　honorary…took　a　sip　of　the　coffee。　Then；　methodical　in　everything　he　did；　he　finished　his　breakfast；　carefully　cleaning　the　bowl　with　the　edge　of　his　spoon　before　setting　it　aside。　He　took　another　sip　of　coffee；　replaced　the　cup　gently　in　its　saucer。　And　then　at　last　he　turned　to　his　morning　reading：　the　ten…inch　stack　of　periodicals　that　lay　tied　in　heavy　twine　on　the　far　end　of　the　counter。　
　As　Buck　cut　the　twine　with　a　pocketknife；　he　was　aware　of　a　sense　of　anticipation。　His　morning　reading　was　always　a　high　point　of　the　day：　a　trucker；　whom　he'd　cured　of　fits　at　a　camp　revival　several　months　before；　always　left　a　bundle　of　outdated　newspapers　for　him　outside　the　truck　stop　every　morning。　The　papers　varied　from　day　to　day；　and　Buck　never　knew　what　he'd　find。　Yesterday　there'd　been　a　copy　of　theNew　Orleans　Times…Picayune　in　among　the　more　monPhoenix　Sun　andLos　Angeles　Times　。　But　his　tingle　of　anticipation；　he　knew；　extended　beyond　the　selection　of　reading　material。　
　Reverend　Buck　had　been　in　the　vicinity　of　Yuma　almost　a　year　now；　ministering　to　the　truckers；　the　waitresses　and　busboys；　the　migrant　workers；　the　broken　and　wandering　and　uncertain　souls　that　passed　through　on　their　way　to　some　place　and　rarely　lingering　long。　The　work　was　its　own　reward；　and　he　never　plained。　The　reason　there　were　so　many　sinners　in　the　world；　he　knew；　was　that　nobody　had　ever　bothered　to　sit　down　and　talk　to　them。　Buck　did　just　that：　he　talked。　Read　to　people　from　the　Good　Book；　let　them　know　how　to　prepare　for　what　was　ing；　and　ing　soon。　He'd　talk　to　the　drivers；　one　at　a　time　here　at　the　counter；　long…haul　truckers　just　stopping　in　for　a　leak　and　a　sandwich。　He'd　talk　to　groups　of　two　or　three　regulars　in　the　evenings；　out　back　by　the　picnic　tables。　On　Sunday　mornings；　fifteen；　maybe　twenty；　at　the　old　Elks　lodge。　When　he　could　get　a　ride　to　the　reservation；　he'd　preach　there。　Most　people　were　receptive。　Nobody　had　explained　the　nature　of　sin　to　them；　the　terrifying　implacable　promise　of　the　End　Days。　When　people　were　sick；　he'd　pray　over　them；　when　people　were　grieving；　he'd　listen　to　their　problems；　recite　a　parable　or　some　words　of　Jesus。　They　paid　him　in　pocket　change；　a　few　hot　meals；　a　bed　for　the　night。　It　was　enough。　
　But　he'd　been　here　in　Yuma　a　long　spell　now。　There　were　other　places；　so　many　others；　that　needed　to　hear。　Every　day　that　went　by　meant　there　would　be　less　time。For　truly　I　tell　you；　you　will　not　have　gone　through　all　the　towns　of　Israel　before　the　Son　of　Man　es。　
　Buck　was　a　firm　believer　in　signs。　Nothing　that　happened　on　this　earth　happened　by　accident。　It　was　a　sign　that　carried　him　from　Broken　Arrow；　Oklahoma；　to　Borrego　Springs；　California；　last　year；　another　sign　that　had　brought　him　from　Borrego　Springs　here　to　Yuma　a　few　months　later。　One　of　these　days…maybe　next　week；　maybe　next　month…there　would　be　another　sign。　He　might　find　it　here　in　these　stacks　of　newspapers。　Or　he　might　find　it　in　the　story　of　a　passing　trucker。　But　the　sign　would　e；　and　he'd　be　gone；　gone　to　some　other　remote　spot　with　its　full　share　of　those　in　need　of　the　balm　of　salvation。　
　Reverend　Buck　plucked　the　first　newspaper　from　the　pile：　the　previous　Sunday'sSacramento　Bee　。　He　leafed　rather　quickly　through　the　national　and　local　pages…big　cities　like　Sacramento　could　always　be　counted　on　for　stories　of　murder；　rape；　corruption；　vice；　corporate　greed。　Buck　had　read　enough　such　stories　for　a　thousand　cautionary　sermons。　He　was　more　interested　in　the　squibs　and　sidebars；　the　news　bites　taken　off　the　wire　feeds　and　recounted　in　odd　corners　of　the　paper　for　reader　amusement。　The　tiny　town　where　two　brothers　hadn't　spoken　to　each　other　in　forty　years。　The　trailer　park　where　every　single　child　had　left；　a　runaway。　These　were　the　stories　that　spoke　to　him；　these　were　the　signs　that　impelled　him　and　his　message。　
　TheBee　pleted；　Buck　turned　to　the　next：USA　Today。　Laverne；　the　waitress；　came　over　with　coffeepot　in　hand。　〃Another　cup；　Reverend？〃　
　〃Just　one　more；　thank　you　kindly。〃　Buck　practiced　moderation　in　all　things。　One　cup　of　coffee　was　a　blessing；　two　cups　was　an　indulgence；　three　cups；　a　sin。　He　perused　the　paper；　put　it　aside；　and　picked　up　a　third：　a　day…old　copy　of　theNew　York　Post　。　Buck　came　across　this　tabloid　only　rarely；　and　he　had　nothing　but　scorn　for　it：　the　brazen　mouthpiece　of　the　world's　most　dissipated；　sin…ridden　city　held　no　interest　for　him。　He　was　about　to　put　it　aside　when　the　headline　caught　his　attention：　
　　　
　DESTRUCTION　
　Renowned　Scientist　Claims　Recent　Deaths　Signal　End　of　Days　
　by　Bryce　Harriman　
　　　
　More　slowly；　Buck　turned　the　page　and　began　to　read。　
　October　25；　2004…A　respected　scientist　yesterday　predicted　imminent　destruction　for　New　York　City　and　possibly　much　of　the　world。　
　Dr。　Friedrich　Von　Menck；　Harvard　scientist　and　Emmy　Award…winning　documentary　filmmaker；　says　the　recent　deaths　of　Jeremy　Grove　and　Nigel　Cutforth　are　merely　the　〃harbingers〃　of　the　ing　catastrophe。　
　For　fifteen　years　Dr。　Von　Menck　has　been　studying　mathematical　patterns　in　the　famous　disasters　of　the　past。　And　no　matter　how　he　cuts　the　data；　one　number　shows　up：　the　year　2004。　
　Von　Menck's　theory　is　based　on　a　fundamental　ratio　known　as　the　golden　ratio…a　ratio　that　is　found　throughout　nature；　as　well　as　in　such　classical　architecture　as　the　Parthenon　and　the　paintings　of　Leonardo　da　Vinci。　Von　Menck　is　the　first　to　apply　it　to　history…with　sinister　implications。　
　Von　Menck's　research　has　revealed　that　many　of　the　worst　disasters　that　have　befallen　mankind　fit　the　same　ratio：　
　　　
　79　A。D。　：　Pompeii　
　426　A。D。　：　The　sack　of　Rome　
　877　A。D。　：　Destruction　of　Beijing　by　the　Mongols　
　1348　A。D。　：　The　Black　Death　
　1666　A。D。　：　The　Great　Fire　of　London　
　1906　A。D。　：　The　San　Francisco　Earthquake　
　These　and　many　more　dates　line　up　in　ratios　of　uncanny　precision。　
　And　what　do　these　natural　disasters　have　in　mon？　They　have　always　struck　an　important　world　city；　a　city　notable　for　its　wealth；　power；　technology…and；　Dr。　Von　Menck　adds；　neglect　of　the　spiritual。　Each　of　these　disasters　was　preceded　by　small　but　specific　signs。　Von　Menck　sees　the　mysterious　deaths　of　Grove　and　Cutforth　as　precisely　the　signs　one　would　expect　preceding　the　destruction　of　New　York　City　by　fire。　
　What　kind　of　fire？　
　〃Not　any　kind　of　normal　fire；〃　says　Von　Menck。　〃It　will　be　something　sudden　and　destructive。　A　fire　from　within。〃　
　As　further　evidence　he　cites　passages　from　Revelation；　the　prophet　Nostradamus；　and　more　recent　clairvoyants　such　as　Edgar　Cayce　and　Madame　Blavatsky。　
　Dr。　Von　Menck　left　today　for　the　Galápagos　Islands；　taking　with　him；　he　said；　only　his　manuscripts　and　a　few　books。　
　　　
　Buck　lowered　the　paper。　The　rest　of　the　pile　sat　at　his　elbow；　forgotten。　He　felt　a　strange　sensation　rise　up　his　spine；　spread　down　his　arms　and　legs。　If　Von　Menck　was　right；　the　man　was　a　fool　to　believe　he　could　take　refuge　on　some　faraway　island。　It　put　in　mind　some　lines　from　Revelation；　his　favorite　book　of　the　Bible；　which　Buck　frequently　quoted　to　his　flock：And　the　kings　of　the　earth；　and　the　great　men；　and　the　rich　men　。　。　。　hid　themselves　in　the　dens　and　in　the　rocks　of　the　mountains　。　。　。　For　the　great　day　of　His　wrath　is　e；　and　who　shall　be　able　to　stand？　
　He　raised　his　cup　of　coffee；　but　it　no　longer　seemed　to　have　any　flavor；　and　he　replaced　it　in　its　saucer。　Buck　had　long　believed　he　would　see　the　End　Days　in　his　lifetime。　And　he　had　always　believed　in　signs。　Perhaps　this　sign　was　just　larger　than　the　others。　
　Perhaps　it　was　very　large；　indeed。　
　Revelation；　chapter　22：Behold；　I　e　quickly　。　。　。　
　Could　this　be　what　he'd　been　waiting　for　all　these　years？　Did　it　not　also　say　in　Revelation　that　the　wicked；　the　men　with　the　mark　of　the　beast　on　their　foreheads；　were　taken　first；　in　successive　waves　of　slaughter？　Just　a　few；　here　and　there；　would　be　taken。　That's　how　it　would　start。　
　He　read　the　article　a　second　time。　New　York　City。　This　was　where　it　would　begin。　Of　course；　this　was　where　it　would　begin。　Two　were　taken。　Just　two。　It　was　God's　way　of　getting　the　word　out　to　his　chosen　people；　so　they　in　turn　could　spread　the　message　of　repentance　and　atonement　while　there　was　still　time。　The　wrath　of　God　would　never　descend　without　warning。Let　he　with　ears　hear　。　。　。　
　Behold；　I　e　quickly　。　。　。　Surely　I　e　quickly　。　。　。　
　But　New　York　City？　Buck　had　never　set　foot　beyond　the　Mississippi　River；　never　been　in　a　town　much　larger　than　Tucson。　To　him；　the　East　Coast　was　Babylon；　a　foreign；　dangerous；　soulless　region　to　be　avoided　at　all　costs；　no　place　more　so　than　New　York。　Was　it　meant　to　be？　Was　it；　in　fact；　a　sign？　And　more　to　the　point：　washe　being　called？　Was　this　the　great　call　from　God　he　had　been　waiting　for？　And　did　he　have　the　courage　to　follow　it？　
　There　was　a　chuff　of　air　brakes　outside　the　diner。　Buck　looked　up　in　time　to　see　the　morning　Greyhound　cross…country　express；　traveling　on　I…10；　stop　outside。　The　sign　above　the　driver's　window　readNew　York　City　。　
　Buck　walked　up　just　as　the　bus　driver　was　about　to　close　the　door。　〃Excuse　me！〃　he　said。　
　The　driver　looked　at　him。　〃What　is　it；　mister？〃　
　〃How　much　for　a　one…way　ticket　to　New　York？〃　
　〃Three　hundred　and　twenty　dollars。　Cash。〃　
　Buck　fished　in　his　wallet　and　pulled　out　all　the　money　he　had　in　the　world。　He　counted　it　while　the　bus　driver　tapped　his　finger　on　the　wheel　and　frowned。　
　It　amounted　to　precisely　three　hundred　and　twenty　dollars。　
　As　the　bus　pulled　away　from　Yuma；　Reverend　Buck　was　sitting　in　the　back；　his　only　luggage　the　day…old　copy　of　theNew　York　Post　。　
　　　
　37　
　
　Vasquez　eased　away　from　the　window；　snugged　the　piece　ofwood　back　in　place；　turned　on　the　hooded　lantern；　then　stood　and　stretched。　It　was　just　past　midnight。　He　rotated　his　head　on　his　shoulders　first　one　way；　then　another；　working　out　the　kinks。　Then　he　took　a　long　drink　of　water；　wiping　his　mouth　with　the　back　of　his　hand。　Despite　a　few　surprises；　the　operation　was　going　well。　The　target　kept　exceedingly　irregular　hours；　ing　and　going　at　unpredictable　times…except　that　every　night；　at　one　o'clock　in　the　morning；　he　exited