jdavid.footprintsofthunder-第42部分

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　〃Let　him　sleep。　We're　almost　to　Washington；　and　I　have　a　doctor　standing　by　to　meet　us。〃
　Bill　and　Terry　spent　the　next　twenty　minutes　writing　down　questions。　They　decided　on　a　strategy　to　build　Kenny's　ego；　confirming　he　was　right　and　then　manipulating　his　paranoid　tendencies　to　get　the　information　they　needed。
　〃Where　am　I？〃
　The　sound　of　Kenny's　voice　rang　like　a　slap　across　the　face。　He　was　looking　around　the　cabin。　He　seemed　generally　confused；　but　not　psychotic。
　Immediately；　Bill　employed　their　plan。
　〃I'm　Bill　Conrad　and　this　is　Terry　Roberts。　And　you're　on　your　way　to　Washington；　D。C。　The　President　wants　to　meet　you　and　shake　your　hand。〃
　Kenny　now　looked　confused　and　pleased；　but　disbelieving。
　〃That's　right；　Kenny。　You　warned　people。　You　did　your　best　to　save　people。　How　did　you　manage　to　figure　it　out　like　that？〃
　Suddenly　Kenny　lunged　at　the　window；　trying　to　see　the　ground　below。　Then　he　unbuckled　his　seat　belt　and　ran　from　window　to　window；　finally　settling　in　a　seat　toward　the　rear　of　the　plane；　his　nose　pressed　against　the　window。　Terry　sat　beside　him　and　Bill　leaned　over　from　the　seat　in　front。　Suddenly　Kenny's　head　snapped　around　to　look　at　Terry。
　〃My　sister？〃
　〃She's　fine。　She'll　be　waiting　for　you　when　you　return　to　Oregon。〃
　Kenny　looked　relieved；　and　then　an　emotion　Terry　couldn't　identify　reshaped　his　expression。　After　a　minute；　Terry　pressed　ahead　with　his　questioning。
　〃How　did　you　figure　it　out；　Kenny？　You　must　be　a　genius。〃　Terry　tried　to　say　it　with　conviction。
　Kenny　pushed　his　nose　against　the　window　again　and　began　to　talk。
　〃I'm　not　a　genius；　I　just　notice　things　other　people　don't。　Like　the　corn。〃
　〃The　corn？〃　Terry　probed。
　〃Yeah；　the　corn。　Me；　Jack；　and　Robbie　went　hunting　and　on　the　way　it　started　to　rain　corn。　Just　poured　out　of　the　sky。〃
　Kenny　paused　and　twisted　his　head；　like　he　had　spotted　something　on　the　ground　behind　the　plane。　Terry　was　worried　about　the　next　question；　but　Kenny　needed　to　start　talking　again　soon。
　〃You　were　the　only　one　who　noticed　it？〃
　〃You　think　I'm　crazy；　don't　you！〃　Kenny's　voice　was　filled　with　venom。　〃Of　course　the　other　guys　noticed　it。　You　think　it　could　rain　corn　and　not　be　noticed？　You're　the　crazy　man；　not　me。〃
　〃What　did　you　mean　when　you　said　you　notice　things　other　people　don't？〃
　〃Jack　and　Robbie　thought　it　was　strange；　but　I　knew　it　was　more　than　that。　I　knew　it　meant　something。〃
　〃A　sign？〃
　〃What　do　you　take　me　for？　Some　kind　of　New　Age　guru？　I　just　knew　that　corn　doesn't　fall　from　the　sky　for　no　reason。〃
　Terry　realized　he　had　the　wrong　point　of　view。　He　assumed　Kenny　would　have　a　mystical　interpretation；　like　most　people　who　prophesied　the　end　of　the　world。　Terry　started　over。　〃It　must　have　been　more　than　the　corn。　You　must　have　had　more　clues　than　that。〃
　〃Oh　sure。　I　used　to　read　these　books　when　I　was　a　kid。　You　know；　books　about　strange　things；　UFO　sightings；　dinosaurs　in　Africa；　stuff　like　that。　There　were　even　stories　about　stuff　falling　out　of　the　sky。　Mostly　ice；　but　some　animals；　frogs；　fish；　even　seeds。　It　was　fun　to　read　about　this　stuff　but　I　never　thought　it　was　true。　I　always　just　figured　a　tornado；　or　an　airplane；　or　something　dropped　this　stuff。　After　the　corn　fell　on　me　I　began　thinking　about　these　things　differently。　I　started　checking。　These　things　really　did　happen。　But　I　couldn't　put　it　together。　Not　by　myself。　Not　until　I　met　Dr。　Piltcher。　He　and　Dr。　Coombs　knew　there　was　something　to　it　。　。　。　and　the　others。　It　was　Dr。　Coombs　that　found　the　Zorastrus　manuscript。　He　knew　it　was　ing；　he　just　didn't　know　when　。　。　。　not　exactly　when。〃
　Kenny　paused；　lost　in　thought。　His　face　was　still　facing　the　window　but　Terry　could　see　his　reflection　and　his　eyes　were　unfocused　and　glassy。
　〃You　finally　figured　out　why　it　was　happening；　didn't　you？　You　and　the　others。〃
　〃Not　for　a　long　time。　We　just　kept　researching　all　the　strange　incidents　we　could　find。　The　regular　papers　don't　report　most　of　this　stuff　anymore。　Used　to；　though。　I　found　stuff　going　back　over　a　hundred　years；　but　Dr。　Piltcher　and　Dr。　Coombs　showed　me　it　had　been　going　on　longer　than　that。　Zorastrus　knew　something　was　ing　and　predicted　it；　but　we　still　couldn't　make　the　model　work。　Then　it　came　together　。　。　。　started　to　e　。　。　。　Phat　and　me　。　。　。　it　was　the　flowers　that　did　it。〃
　Kenny's　voice　faded　out　after　he　said　〃flowers。〃
　〃The　flowers　。　。　。〃　Terry　probed　gently。
　〃Flowers…just　fell　from　the　sky…〃　Kenny's　tongue　began　running　back　and　forth　over　his　lips。　The　seat　belt　sign　came　on　before　Terry　could　ask　another　question；　but　it　didn't　matter。　Kenny　was　gone。　His　eyes　were　fixed　and　glassy。　They　maneuvered　him　away　from　the　window　and　then　lifted　his　arms　to　buckle　him　in。　Like　a　wax　model；　they　remained　suspended　until　Terry　put　them　down　onto　the　armrests。
　They　were　still　there　when　the　EMTs　came　to　load　him　onto　a　stretcher　and　wheel　him　off　the　plane。
　Bill　and　Terry　climbed　into　a　waiting　van。　When　Bill　finally　spoke；　he　was　clearly　disappointed。
　〃I　was　hoping　for　more。〃
　〃He　caught　us　by　surprise。　We　weren't　quite　ready。　Still；　he　gave　us　something。　You　ever　heard　of　a　Dr。　Piltcher　or　Dr。　Coombs？〃
　〃No；〃　Bill　said。　〃Who　was　that　other　one？　Phat？　I'll　put　some　people　on　it。　If　they　were　like　Kenny　they　might　be　holed　up　in　a　cave　somewhere；　maybe　with　their　relatives。　I'll　have　someone　research　that　name。　The　prophet。　What　was　his　name？〃
　〃Zorastrus。〃
　〃Yeah；　ever　hear　of　him？　Me　neither。　What　was　it　he　said　about　things　falling　from　the　sky？　Flowers　and　corn　from　the　sky？　You　think　Portland　and　New　York　were　buried　by　something　from　the　sky？　That's　not　what　the　reports　say。　They　say　gone；　and　gone　is　a　lot　different　from　buried。〃
　〃No；　but　I　remember　something　about　flowers　falling　from　the　sky。in　one　of　those　books　of　his　。　。　。　no；　one　of　those　articles。　He　said　the　flowers　were　the　clue。〃
　The　bags　of　articles　from　Kenny's　room　were　in　the　back　of　the　van；　and　Bill　and　Terry　opened　them；　searching　for　the　file　folder。　They　found　it　in　the　bundle　they'd　made　from　the　bedspread。
　Terry　read　the　article　aloud；　but　nothing　in　the　article　gave　them　a　clue　to　what　had　happened。　A　mother　and　her　five…year…old　daughter　were　sitting　in　a　park　in　Hiroshima；　Japan；　when　it　began　to　rain　flowers…the　flowers　were　wildflowers；　with　grasses；　mostly　white　flowers；　but　some　of　other　colors　too。　Although　the　shower　lasted　less　than　a　minute　it　was　enough　to　nearly　bury　the　little　girl。　No　one　could　explain　where　the　flowers　came　from。　When　Terry　finished；　he　felt　the　same　tickle　he　felt　before　in　Kenny's　room。
　Bill　shook　his　head。　〃I　get　nothing；　Terry。　How　about　you？　Read　it　again。〃
　The　van　kept　starting　and　stopping　in　traffic。　Reading　in　a　car　always　made　Terry　sick　to　his　stomach；　but　now　he　felt　particularly　ill。　He　ignored　the　creeping　nausea；　still；　the　second　reading　added　nothing；　the　tickle　was　still　there。
　〃Bill；　let's　try　brainstorming。　We'll　take　turns　saying　whatever　es　to　mind。　Don't　try　to　judge　your　ideas。　Let　any　idea　our。　I'll　start。　Flowers　from　the　sky。〃
　〃You　mean　like　word　association？　Tulips？〃
　〃Anything。　Park；　people；　picnic。〃
　〃Mother；　daughter；　family；　apple　pie　。。。　make　that　sushi。〃
　〃Japan；　Hiroshima　。　。　。〃
　〃World　War　II；　Nagasaki。〃
　The　tickle　turned　to　an　itch　and　then　into　an　idea。
　〃The　bomb？　You　think　the　bomb　did　this？〃
　〃That's　the　first　thing　I　thought　of；　Terry；　but　fission　bombs　don't　drop　flowers　on　people。　These　bombs　fry　people；　not　decorate　them。　If　there　is　a　connection　then　maybe　there's　an　article　about　something　falling　on　Nagasaki。　I　wonder…where　did　that　　fall　on　Kenny？〃
　They　split　up　the　articles　looking　for　something　from　Nagasaki　but　found　nothing。　They　then　looked　for　articles　from　cities　near　the　now　closed　Nevada　nuclear　test　site；　but　to　no　avail。　They　were　still　searching　the　books　when　the　van　stopped。
　Terry　helped　bring　Kenny's　things　into　a　brick　town　house　indistinguishable　from　many　other　such　D。C。　structures。　There　was　no　sign　on　the　front　of　the　building；　and　no　guards　stood　in　the　lobby；　but　Bill　had　to　use　an　elevator　key　to　get　to　the　floor　he　wanted。　There　the　doors　slid　open　to　two　armed　airmen　who　qu