jdavid.footprintsofthunder-第101章

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　The　demarcation　between　the　time…quilted　area　and　Portland　was　not　as　sharp　as　in　New　York。　Portland　was　a　small　town　busting　out　of　its　britches；　but　from　the　air　the　city　looked　like　an　octopus　sending　tentacles　of　development　up　over　the　hills　and　down　into　valleys。　Because　the　urban　area　intermixed　with　rural　and　forested　land；　the　contrast　between　city　and　the　time…quilted　area　was　harder　to　spot。　At　first　the　quilted　forest　looked　like　any　to　Terry；　but　then　he　began　to　get　a　sense　of　scale。　The　smallest　of　the　trees　was　easily　the　match　of　the　largest　PreQuilt　Douglas　fir。　Terry　and　Bill　hadn't　seen　any　dinosaurs；　but　Terry　was　already　a　believer。　He　had　seen　the　I…5　mountain；　and　if　a　city　could　disappear；　couldn't　dinosaurs　appear？
　Bill's　connections　seemed　as　important　as　his　rank；　and　he'd　gotten　them　a　military　jet　out　to　Nevada。　Then　one　〃buddy〃　shuttled　them　to　Hillsboro；　where　another　buddy　arranged　a　helicopter。　On　the　way；　Bill　exchanged　unclassified　information　with　them　on　what　was　happening　in　the　civilian　sector。　Power　outages　were　keeping　about　a　third　of　the　country　in　the　dark；　literally；　but　the　rest　of　the　country　was　getting　news；　unbelievable　news；　and　was　near　panic。　Food　hoarding　had　begun；　and　frenzied　shoppers　had　caused　riots　in　Los　Angeles；　Chicago；　and　Seattle。　A　third　of　the　state　governors　had　declared　martial　law　and　were　begging　for　federal　help。　Massive　flooding；　tidal　waves；　and　landslides　had　devastated　the　country。　Hospitals　near　the　disasters　were　jammed；　and　rescue　workers　and　relief　agencies　found　themselves　overwhelmed　by　requests　and　stymied　by　missing　bridges　and　roads。
　Yet　while　chaos　reigned　in　and　near　affected　areas；　major　portions　of　the　country　stayed　at　home；　watched　reports　on　the　television；　went　to　work；　and　sent　their　kids　to　school。　The　disasters　were　tremendous　but　highly　specific　in　nature。　Los　Angeles；　for　example；　was　largely　intact；　but　just　south　of　the　city　there　had　been　a　massive　flood。　After　the　water　found　its　way　out　to　sea；　rescue　workers　found　precious　little　to　search。　San　Juan　Capistrano　and　San　Clemente　were　gone。　Not　demolished；　but　pletely　gone；　leaving　no　wrecked　homes；　cars；　or　bodies。
　Terry　arid　Bill　tried　to　contact　Ellen　and　Angie　by　phone；　to　tell　them　they　were　off　to　look　for　John；　but　long…distance　phone　calling　was　impossible。　AT&T　had　been　hurt　by　losses　in　Atlanta　and　New　York。　MCI　and　Sprint；　devastated　by　satellite　ground　station　losses；　had　good　service　only　between　the　Midwest　and　Southeast。　Coast…to…coast　calls　could　not　be　made。　And　concerned　parents　and　children　overwhelmed　the　remaining　phone　capacity。
　During　the　stopover　in　Nevada；　Terry　worked　the　civilian　phone　circuits　while　Bill　tried　the　military。　He　returned　with　bad　news。
　〃Angie　and　Ellen　checked　out。　They　left　a　message　saying　they　were　going　to　find　your　son。〃
　〃What？　But　he　may　not　be　there　to　find。〃　Terry　had　never　admitted　that；　and　saying　it　now　the　words　gave　it　a　grim　finality。　〃He　may　be　somewhere　else；〃　he　added；　convincing　neither　Bill　nor　himself。
　〃Ellen　and　Angie　don't　know　what's　happened。　They　could　be　in　dinosaur　country　already。　But　that's　not　all。　Something's　going　on。　A　friend　of　mine　says　they've　ordered　the　Portland　area　target　mapped…bit　mapped　for　a　terrain　guidance　system。〃
　〃They　use　those　to　guide　bombers；　right？〃
　〃Mmmm…yes；　bombers　and　cruise　missiles。　The　system　allows　them　to　fly　at　treetop　level。　That　kind　of　guidance　system　is　very　reliable；　and　very　accurate。〃
　〃You　don't　think　they're　going　to　bomb　those　dinosaurs；　do　you？〃
　〃I　can't　believe　you　would　need　a　bomb　to　keep　them　at　bay。　Remember　what　caused　this　in　the　first　place？〃
　Terry　tried　to　recall　Dr。　Paulson's　explanation　of　the　puter　models　and　their　relation　to　patterns　of　explosions。　Large　nuclear　detonations　had　caused　this；　detonations　in　the　megaton；　not　kiloton　range。　Then　Terry　made　the　connection。
　〃You　don't　think　they're　going　to…〃　Terry　stammered。
　〃Hair　of　the　dog…〃
　That　realization　sent　a　shiver　through　Terry。　He　was　going　to　be　flying　into　the　land　of　dinosaurs；　not　knowing　whether　his　wife　made　it　to　Portland；　or　what　had　happened　to　his　son；　and　wondering　whether　a　Stealth　bomber　would　suddenly　unleash　nuclear　hell　on　them。　He　wanted　to　say　it　couldn't　get　any　worse　than　this；　but　every　time　he　thought　that；　he　was　wrong。
　The　helicopter　was　there　as　promised。　Although　Bill　kept　saying　he'd　〃get　the　hang　of　it　again　soon；〃　he　proved　himself　a　reasonably　petent　pilot。　They　circled　to　identify　the　quilted　segment；　and　then　entered　from　the　southeast。　The　skyscrapers　in　city　center　were　gone；　and　most　of　the　urban　sprawl　that　covered　the　valley　and　hills　had　vanished。　The　shape　of　the　land；　however；　was　the　same。　Terry　picked　out　the　Columbia　River　glistening　in　the　distance；　and　the　Tualitan　River；　where　it　should　be。　The　Willamette　River　was　gone；　but　something　reflected　silvery　light　through　the　trees　on　the　east　side　of　the　valley。　If　that　was　the　Willamette　it　had　been　drastically　rechanneled。　The　new　forest　itself　was　not　uniform。　Sections　of　it　looked　like　they　were　being　clear…cut；　with　the　trees　dropped　on　top　of　one　another　in　a　confusing　jumble。　Other　sections　seemed　collapsed　in；　the　trees　holding　one　another　up；　as　if　they　had　been　badly　crowded。　Other　sections　appeared　to　be　normal　forest。　Then　Bill　spotted　something。
　〃There！　In　that　clearing！〃　he　shouted。
　He　banked　the　helicopter　to　the　right；　bringing　it　full　circle　and　dropping　altitude　at　the　same　time。
　The　clearing　looked　more　like　a　river　bottom　to　Terry；　a　long　earthy　gouge　that　disappeared　in　the　distance。　The　strip　was　speckled　with　large　sheets　of　water　that　reflected　the　sun　and　clouds。　Bill　pointed　again　and　brought　the　helicopter　around　so　Terry　could　see　a　herd　of　animals。　Terry　first　thought　of　buffalo；　but　dismissed　the　thought。　These　were　much　bigger；　four…legged　animals　with　long　necks　and　tails。
　They　were　dinosaurs。　They　seemed　to　be　slowly　walking　along　the　bank　of　what　had　been　a　river。　Bill　and　Terry　watched　the　herd　in　silence；　considering　the　implications。　Then　Bill　made　a　wide　circle　and　began　searching　again。　West　of　the　dinosaur　herd　they　spotted　a　clearing。　In　it　were　three　horses　with　riders；　one　horse　carrying　two。　As　Bill　banked　the　helicopter；　and　circled；　the　riders　stopped　and　watched　it　land。　Bill　kept　the　blades　rotating　while　Terry　jumped　out。
　Even　from　the　air　Bill　and　Terry　could　tell　Ellen　and　Angie　weren't　there；　but　the　riders　might　have　information。　They　looked　to　be　a　family。　The　man　was　riding　double　with　a　boy　of　about　twelve；　and　the　other　two　looked　to　be　his　wife　and　teenage　daughter。　They　all　looked　fortable　on　horseback　and　wore　denim　and　flannel。　But　they　seemed　watchful。　Everyone　but　the　boy　had　a　rifle。　Terry　approached　carefully。
　〃Hi　there。　Can　you　help　me？　We're　looking　for　some　people；　two　women。〃
　〃I'd　get　back　up　in　the　air　if　I　were　you。　There's　killer　lizards　in　here；　big　ones。〃
　〃I　know；　that's　why　I　need　to　find　these　people。　One's　my　wife。〃
　〃She　better　not　be　in　here。　We　just　lost　a　horse　to　one…　nearly　got　my　boy。〃　The　man　nodded　to　the　boy　riding　behind　him。
　〃It　killed　Copper；〃　the　boy　sniffed。　He　had　been　crying。
　〃Came　out　of　nowhere；〃　the　man　continued。　〃It　was　about　half　the　size　of　my　boy's　horse　but　had　jaws　you　wouldn't　believe。　Sank　its　teeth　into　the　horse's　neck　and　brought　old　Copper　to　the　ground。　If　my　boy　hadn't　jumped　free　he'd　be　dead。〃
　〃Have　you　seen　anyone　else　in　here？〃
　〃Saw　some　people　this　morning；　but　they　were　heading　out；　two　men　and　a　woman。　You　should　do　the　same。　Now　we　gotta　go。〃　The　man　nudged　his　horse　with　his　heels　and　headed　off。
　〃Hey；　how　far　does　this　go；　anyway？〃
　The　woman　turned　before　she　followed　the　others。
　〃Don't　know　for　sure。　I　heard　Vancouver's　still　there；　but　the　bridges　are　down。　Someone　said　it　goes　all　the　way　to　Wilsonville。〃
　John　thanked　her　as　she　rode　to　catch　up　with　the　others。　Wilsonville；　he　said　to　himself。　They　had　already　seen　how　far　south　the　affected　area　was；　and　the　woman　had　mentioned　Vancouver。　That　meant　not　only　was　his　house　gone；　but　90　percent　of　the　metropolitan　area　was　now　dinosaur…