jak.themothmanprophecies-第21章
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Tiny concluded his interview less than an hour after he arrived。 It was probably precisely forty minutes； just as he promised。 He donned his hat and coat and told Ed he would be notified by mail within ten days。
Arline was in the kitchen when he left and she decided she was going to watch him and see where he went。 She stepped out of the kitchen door and stood in the dark watching the big man as he walked toward the road。 〃His shoes squished loudly as he walked；〃 she noted。 When he reached the road； he made a gesture with his hand and a black 1963 Cadillac drove through the trees and pulled up。 It was driving in the pitch…dark with its headlights out so she couldn't see the driver。 Tiny climbed into the car and it drove away； its headlights still out。 …
The next morning Ed was alone in the house when the phone rang。 A female voice explained she was calling about the missing…heir interview。 〃We've located the Edward Christiansen we were looking for in California；〃 she explained。 Ed said he had felt sure he wasn't the right one； thanked her； and hung up。 When he told his family about the call； they all dismissed the incident from their minds until my interview with them。
The wire running up the leg is one feature I have been unable to fit into my research in other MIB cases。 It has never been repeated。 Was Tiny wearing electric socks？ Or was he a wired android operated by remote control？
As for his badge； I suspect that the K was really the Greek letter sigma ＇E＇； which has turned up repeatedly in other UFO cases； and is often used by scientists to express the strange or unknown。
III
Two days after Tiny； the pop…eyed missing…heirs investigator； invaded Cape May； Mothman； the pop…eyed pterodactyl； visited Tiny's restaurant in Point Pleasant。 At 5 P。M。 on January 11； 1967； Mrs。 Mabel McDaniel was walking near the drive…in restaurant when she saw an object soaring down Route 62。
〃I thought it was an airplane； then I realized it was flying much too low；〃 she said。 She had been living with Mothman witnesses for two months but never expected to see the critter herself。 Nor did she want to。 Knowing that she was psychologically prepared to； maybe； even hallucinate a sighting； I interviewed her very carefully afterward。 Her story held up。 This was a real sighting。
She froze in her tracks； scarcely believing her eyes。
〃I thought I could see two legs 。。。 like men's legs 。。。 hanging down from it。 It circled low over Tiny's and then flew off。〃 She could not see any head or neck； the wings were motionless； and it was pletely silent。 In a way； it sounded almost like a hang…glider。 But hang…gliding was almost a pletely unknown sport in 1967。 （*） Mrs。 McDaniel was nervous and excited afterward but suffered no ill effects。
IV。
Gwendoline Martino and her daughter returned from Europe in January and visited the Christiansens a few days after Tiny rode off in his darkened Cadillac。 At 3 A。M。 on January 13； 1967； Gwen and Connie； who were sharing a room； were awakened by a loud sound seeming to e from directly overhead。 The sounds were distant at first； like someone hammering on metal with a rubber mallet or； possibly； walking over a metal surface。 The noises grew steadily louder until they were deafening。 〃The whole house seemed to shake；〃 Gwen said。 When she started to get up to investigate； the sounds stopped instantly。 As soon as she was back in bed； they began again。 The two women debated whether they should wake up Ed Christiansen； a heavy sleeper。 Gwen started to get out of bed again； and again the noises stopped。 Finally they faded away。
Two evenings later Mr。 and Mrs。 Christiansen returned home to find their children in a very distraught state。 They had heard the strange hammering sound again； followed by heavy footsteps crunching through the thick snow outside the house。 Connie's nineteen…year…old boyfriend was present and he had looked out a window in time to see a tall figure hurrying away from the house。 It was wearing a long white cape and when it reached a five…foot…high fence it leaped effortlessly over it and disappeared on the other side。
The next morning Ed Christiansen examined the area for footprints。 He found a set of large human tracks deeply imbedded in the snow； leading to the fence and continuing on the other； side。 These footprints went on to another building some distance away and stopped abruptly at the wall of the structure。 There were no other footprints around the building； an old abandoned shed； and the witnesses were puzzled as to where the person could； have gone。 Like our hairy monsters； little green Martians； and Mothman； the caped intruder had vanished into nothingness。
＇*＇ Hang…gliders are lightweight frames covered with nylon。 They look something like kites and the rider hangs underneath on bars and straps。 They are launched from steep hills or cliffs。 Route 62 runs along the edge of the Ohio River and the terrain is very flat。
V
Enter Tad Jones； a rarity among UFO witnesses because of his very mon name。 A gentle； handsome man in his thirties； Mr。 Jones was a deeply religious person who did not smoke or drink。 In 1967； he lived in Dunbar； a suburb of Charleston； West Virginia； and managed an appliance store at a place called Cross Lanes。 Urbane； intelligent； and articulate； he was one of the most impressive UFO witnesses I have met in my travels。
At 9：05 A。M。 on the morning of January 19； 1967； Tad was driving to his store along the newly pleted multi…lane highway； Route 64； about ten miles outside of Charleston。 A large object was blocking the road ahead of him and he first assumed it was a vehicle being used by a construction gang still working on the highway。 But as he drew closer he saw that it was hovering in the air； about four feet off the ground。
〃It was a large metal sphere；〃 he said。 〃Since it was broad daylight I got a very good look at it。 It was about twenty feet in diameter and was the color of dull aluminum。〃
He slowed his car and studied the thing for about two minutes。
〃There were four legs attached to it；〃 he continued； 〃with casterlike wheels on the bottom of each one。 And there was a small window about nine inches in diameter on the side facing me。 But I couldn't see anything inside the sphere。 On the underside there was something like a propeller。 It was idling when I first drove up； then it started spinning faster and the whole object began to rise upward。 It disappeared into the sky and I drove on to my store。〃
Shaken and puzzled by his sighting； he decided to call the police and report it。 His story quickly found its way into the local papers。
The next morning a crude note was slipped under his door in Dunbar。 Written on ordinary notebook paper in block letters； it stated： 〃We know what you have seen and we know that you have talked。 You'd better keep your mouth shut。〃 He decided it had to be the work of some local prankster。
In nearby St。 Albans； Mr。 Ralph Jarrett； a chemical engineer and the local UFO authority； was shaving that morning when his telephone rang。 He put down his razor and went into the bedroom to pick up the extension。
〃I heard a very clear 'beep…beep' sound；〃 Jarrett said； 〃The beeping continued for about two； maybe three minutes。 Then the phone went dead and the dial tone came on。 I've heard all sorts of code transmissions on shortwave； but nothing quite like that。〃
He went downstairs to breakfast； opened his copy of The Charleston Gazette； and read about Tad Jones's sighting 。。。 the first he had heard of it。 Jarrett； an aggressive； loquacious middle…aged man； was a highly qualified investigator。 He later contacted Jones and conducted a thorough study of the case。 He discovered the object had been hovering directly above a major gas line which passed under the road。 （There have been other sightings of UFOs directly over buried gas lines。）
A few days later； another note was slipped under the door of Jones's home in Dunbar。 This one was written on a piece of cardb
