jdavid.footprintsofthunder-第15章

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　her　portable　radio　in　her　bedroom。
　There　she　found　broken　glass　all　over　her　bedspread　and　on　the　floor。　The　window　frame　was　empty。　Mariel　shook　her　head　in　disbelief。　What　could　have　happened？　She　clucked　her　tongue　at　the　work　it　would　take　to　make　her　apartment　neat　again　and　then　found　her　radio　along　with　her　flashlight；　which　she　decided　to　save　in　case　she　had　to　go　outside。
　Mariel　tried　the　radio。　Most　of　the　local　stations　were　off。　Those　still　broadcasting　weren't　talking　about　the　power　loss　yet。　Back　in　the　kitchen　she　tried　the　phone。　It　was　out　too。　That　concerned　Mariel　a　little。　Usually　the　phones　still　worked　when　the　power　went　out。　But　she　picked　her　rocker　up　and　sat　down　by　her　window；　listening　to　her　portable　radio。
　When　she　turned　to　look　outside　she　got　the　shock　of　her　life。　The　office　building　that　had　replaced　Gertie's　apartment　building　was　gone；　and　so　were　the　buildings　behind　that。　As　far　as　Mariel　could　see　in　the　moonlight　there　was　nothing　but　grass。
　Mariel　stood　at　her　window　like　thousands　of　other　New　Yorkers；　trying　to　understand　what　she　was　seeing。　She　had　fallen　out　of　her　chair；　she　was　sure　of　that。　She　didn't　remember　hitting　her　head；　but　maybe　she　did。　She　felt　her　face　and　skull　but　found　no　lumps　or　blood。　But　if　she　wasn't　delirious　what　had　happened　to　the　building？　To　the　city？　Mariel　was　thinking　of　walking　across　the　hall　to　ask　Mr。　Moreno　if　there　was　city　on　his　side　of　the　building　when　there　were　loud　footsteps　outside　her　door　followed　by　a　pounding。　Mariel　took　her　candle　and　walked　to　the　door　and　peered　through　the　peephole。　It　was　too　dark　to　see；　so　Mariel　shouted；　asking　who　was　there。　Luis　Ibarra　responded；　and　Mariel　opened　the　door　to　see　him　wearing　only　a　pair　of　jeans。
　〃Are　you　all　right；　Mrs。　Weatherby？〃
　〃Yes；　Luis。　Thanks　for　asking。　Luis；　as　long　as　you're　here；　would　you　mind　looking　out　my　window？　I　can't　seem　to　see　the　city　anymore。〃
　〃Yes；　I　know；　Mrs。　Weatherby。　You're　not　crazy。　We　can't　see　it　either。　I　checked　out　the　other　side　of　the　building。　It's　still　there。　Man；　this　is　some　kind　of　weird。　We're　thinking　of　getting　the　kids　out。　If　we　go　I'll　e　for　you。〃
　〃No　thank　you；　Luis。　I'll　be　fine。〃
　〃It's　too　weird　to　stay；　Mrs；　Weatherby。〃
　〃I'm　staying。　By　the　way；　I　couldn't　help　but　overhear　the　argument　you　and　Melinda　were　having。　1　do　hope　you　settled　it。　You're　such　a　good　couple。　I　told　my　daughter　she　should　be　so　lucky　to　be　as　happy　as　you　and　Melinda。〃
　〃Oh　yeah；　it's　all　forgotten。　You've　got　to　e　with　us；　Mrs。　Weatherby。〃
　〃Get　back　to　your　family；　Luis。　No；　wait　a　minute。〃
　Mrs。　Weatherby　used　her　candle　to　get　back　to　the　kitchen　and　emptied　her　cookie　jar　into　a　paper　sack。　Then　she　took　them　back　to　Luis。
　〃Give　these　to　your　children。　If　they're　scared　it　will　calm　them　down。〃
　Luis　took　the　bag　without　protest。　〃I'll　e　back　for　you　if　we　leave。〃
　〃I　won't　leave　my　home。　Good　night；　Luis。〃
　Mrs。　Weatherby　returned　to　her　window　and　sat　looking　out　into　the　new　meadow。　She　found　she　wasn't　afraid。　Mariel　had　once　heard　a　talk　show　guest　say　people　are　afraid　of　only　two　things：　death　and　the　unknown。　Mariel　disagreed。　People　her　age　were　not　afraid　of　death；　they　had　seen　too　much　of　it　and　lived　with　it　too　long。　As　for　the　unknown；　Mariel　relished　it。　Her　life　had　been　one　of　unrelenting　sameness　for　nearly　a　decade。
　　　　She　could　hear　the　sounds　of　the　city　from　the　other　side　of　the　building；　but　the　meadow　made　no　sounds。　It　looked　to　be　an　endless　sea　of　grass。　No；　not　just　grass。　Mariel　cursed　her　old　eyes　and　the　darkness〃　and　strained　to　see　better。　She　removed　her　glasses　and　cleaned　them　but　to　no　avail。　Something　was　sparkling　in　the　grass　in　the　distance。　It　was　water。　The　meadow　ended　in　a　swamp。　Mariel　wished　she　hadn't　given　Phillip's　binoculars　to　Phil　junior。　There　was　much　to　see　in　this　meadow；　and　even　more　just　out　of　her　visual　reach。
　Mariel　turned　on　the　radio。　None　of　her　favorite　stations　were　on；　but　she　found　a　station　carrying　the　Gene　Diamond　show。　He　was　obnoxious　and　profane；　and　Mariel　seldom　listened　to　his　Night　Talk　show；　but　they　interrupted　it　often　with　news　and　that's　what　she　wanted　to　hear。　Gene　was　talking　to　someone　named　Roland　from　Salt　Lake　City；　Utah。
　〃Gene；　we're　never　gonna　get　the　truth　about　cold　fusion；　because　they'll　never　let　the　truth　out。　They've　got　too　much　to　lose。〃
　〃Who's　'they；'　Roland？〃
　〃The　power　panies；　of　course。　You　think　the　nuclear　panies　and　big　oil；　not　to　mention　coal；　are　going　to　let　the　working　man　get　access　to　cheap　power？　Uh…uh。　Won't　happen。　That's　why　the　government's；　trying　so　hard　to　ruin　the　reps　of　the　inventors。〃
　〃So　the　government；　the　power　panies；　the　oil　panies；　and　whoever　owns　the　coal　reserves　in　this　country　all　got　together　and　conspired　to　discredit　the　inventors　of　cold　fusion？〃
　〃Right。〃
　〃So　why　is　it　no　one　seems　to　be　able　to　replicate　the　cold　fusion　experiments；　Roland？〃
　〃The　government　bought　off　all　the　scientists。〃
　〃Even　the　scientists　in　the　former　Soviet　Union？〃
　〃They　need　the　money　worst　of　all。〃
　〃Makes　sense。　Makes　sense　if　you're　a　paranoid　idiot。　Let's　get　another　caller　in　here。〃
　Most　nights；　Mariel　had　heard　Gene　Diamond　make　rude　ments　like　that。　It　was　a　wonder；　she　thought；　anyone　would　ever　call　in　to　his　dreadful　show。　Still　they　did。　Often　the　same　people　who　had　been　rudely　treated　called　in　over　and　over。　Now　Mariel　clucked　her　tongue　in　disbelief　and　then　turned　down　the　radio。　She　only　wanted　news　tonight；　not　chatter。　She　wasn't　feeling　lonely；　not　with　a　whole　new　world　to　explore。
　Mariel　sat　by　the　window　through　the　night　studying　the　meadow；　straining　to　hear　the　night　sounds　it　might　make。　Only　once　did　she　hear　something　that　seemed　to　e　from　the　meadow。　It　was　a　low　rumbling　sound；　something　Mariel　had　never　heard　before。
　The　sky　brightened　as　the　sun　neared　the　horizon；　and　more　of　the　meadow　was　visible。　The　swamp　could　he　clearly　seen　now　and　even　more　distant　was　a　treeline。　Mariel　reveled　in　each　new　discovery。　When　the　sun　appeared　over　the　distant　trees；　Mariel　attached　a　pair　of　snap…on　dark　lenses　to　her　eyeglasses　and　sat　in　excited　expectation　waiting　for　the　unexpected。
　The　sound　of　voices　came　from　below　her。　She　leaned　out　the　window　to　see　a　group　of　teenagers　walking　out　into　the　meadow。　She　could　tell　by　their　jackets　they　were　gang　members。　She　had　seen　them　often　enough；　standing　on　the　streets；　harassing　the　passersby。　Mariel　and　her　neighbors　had　little　use　for　them；　but　they　were　the　sons　and　daughters　of　the　neighborhood　and　you　had　to　take　the　good　with　the　bad。
　The　gang　members　all　looked　to　be　boys；　but　Mariel　wasn't　good　at　guessing　sex　these　days。　They　walked　out　into　the　meadow；　looking　at　the　grass　and　talking　and　laughing。　Mariel　was　surprised　by　how　tall　the　grass　was。　It　came　nearly　to　the　waist　of　even　the　tallest　boy。　She　realized　she　detested　having　the　boys　in　her　meadow…not　the　boys；　only　their　presence。　They　weren't　part　of　this　new　world；　and　Mariel　didn't　want　it　to　turn　back　into　what　it　had　been。　First　would　e　the　teens；　then　their　parents。　More　and　more　people　would　e　to　the　meadow。　Then　they　would　divide　it　up；　put　in　roads；　and　put　in　buildings。　Soon　Mariel　would　be　looking　at　an　unfriendly　glass　wall　again。　No；　these　boys　had　to　go。　Mariel　was　about　to　yell　at　them；　to　tell　them　to　get　out　of　her　meadow；　when　the　boys　shouted　and　pointed　into　the　distance。
　Mariel　tried　to　spot　what　had　the　hoys　so　excited。　There　was　something　there；　ing　closer。　The　boys　below　turned　and　ran　from　the　meadow。　Mariel　clapped　her　hands　in　delight。　Hooray　for　whatever　had　scared　the　boys　from　her　meadow！　Wishing　again　for　Phillip's　binoculars；　she　watched　it　ing　closer。　Finally　her　eyes　managed　to　focus　on　it；　and　Mariel　knew　then　the　view　from　her　window　would　never　be　boring　again。
　
　10。　　THE　GROUP
　
　Who　can　fathom　the　minds　of　the　gods？　There　will　e　a　time　when　the　words　past；　present；　and　future　will　have　no　meaning。
　…Zorostrus；　Prophet　of　Babylon
　
　East　Lake；　Oregon
　TIME　QUILT：　SATURDAY；　7：35　P。M。　PST
　
　　Phat！　It's　getting　late；　give　it　up；〃　Dr。　Piltcher　yelle