jdavid.footprintsofthunder-第24章

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fing　at　the　staff　meeting。〃
　Colonel　Winfield　nodded　and　left。　Elizabeth　turned　。to　leave；　but　the　President　stopped　her。
　〃Elizabeth；　I've　lost　track　of　Sandy's　schedule。〃
　〃The　first　lady　is　in　Atlanta；　Mr。　President。　We　have　no　word　about　Atlanta。〃
　〃Thank　you；　Elizabeth。〃
　When　Elizabeth　left；　the　President　was　staring　out　the　dark　window　and　twisting　the　paper　clip　crank　around　and　around。
　
　17。　　SCIENCE　ADVISOR
　
　The　morning　I　arrived　in　Singapore　the　heavens　filled　the　street　with　fishes。　When　the　fish　stopped　falling　the　Chinese　ond　the　Malays　gathered　them　up；　most　returning　home　with　an　overflowing　basket。　A　most　unusual　introduction　to　a　most　unusual　country。
　…Francois　de　Castelnou；　February　16；1861
　
　Washington；　D。C。
　POSTQUILT：　SUNDAY；　5：13　A。M。　EST
　
　There　was　a　phone　beeping　in　Nick　Paulson's　ear。　Nick's　head　was　paralyzed　from　fatigue　but　he　managed　to　roll　his　eyes　ninety　degrees　toward　the　clock　radio。　The　numbers　waved　before　his　eyes　for　a　few　seconds　and　then　coalesced　into　a　fuzzy　pattern　that　resembled　5：13。　The　two　glowing　globs　in　the　cor…net　were　too　blurry　to　read；　but　they　had　to　say　A。M。　The　phone　beeped　again　and　Nick　began　to　wish　for　the　good　old　days　when　phones　jangled。　A　jangle　can　energize　you　and　take　you　from　stage　four　sleep　all　the　way　to　consciousness。　But　a　beep　just　doesn't　have　the　necessary　power　to　blast　you　from　delta　waves　to　alpha　waves。
　On　the　second　try；　Nick　palmed　the　receiver　and　heard　a　voice　respond　to　his　groggy　hello；　but　it　didn't　make　any　sense。　Finally　he　recognized　it　as　belonging　to　Elizabeth　Hawthorne；　the　President's　chief　of　staff。　Elizabeth　Hawthorne　was　a　human　jangle。
　〃Elizabeth　。　。　。　Elizabeth　。　。　。　start　over　please。　I've　only　been　in　bed　a　couple　of　hours。〃
　〃I　said；　we're　calling　an　emergency　Security　Council　meeting　at　seven　this　morning　and　you　are　to　be　there。　It　would　help　if　you　could　e　in　as　soon　as　possible　and　review　some　of　the　reports　we　have。　The　President　will　want　your　assessment。〃
　Nick　was　not　sure　he　understood　her。　Nick　had　never　sat　with　the　Security　Council；　and　he　couldn't　imagine　the　kind　of　emergency　that　would　require　a　science　advisor。　Emergencies　usually　need　only　two　kinds　of　people；　those　who　can　negotiate　and　those　who　can　kill。　Nick　was　sure　he　couldn't　do　the　first；　and　pretty　sure　he　couldn't　do　the　second。
　〃Elizabeth；　can　you　tell　me　the　nature　of　the　emergency？〃
　〃Not　on　this　line。　Dr。　Paulson；　be　here　within　the　hour。〃　Elizabeth　hung　up。　Good…byes　were　superfluous　to　her。　It　was　then　he　noticed　his　heart　was　pounding。　Only　two　things　made　Nick's　heart　pound；　sex　and　fear。　Since　Kathy　had　moved　out　over　two　months　ago；　that　left　only　fear。
　
　Twenty　minutes　later　he　was　directing　his　Volvo　through　the　empty　streets。　The　rain　had　stopped　and　the　streets　were　shiny　and　slick。　Nick　ran　an　electric　razor　over　his　face　as　he　drove；　clearing　away　the　stubble。　He　finished　grooming　by　running　his　fingers　through　his　thinning　blond　hair。　He　decided　to　check　the　radio　for　news；　hoping　to　pick　up　some　clue　to　what　the　Security　Council　was　meeting　to　discuss。　There　was　nothing　but　music　on　the　FM　stations；　but　on　AM　he　picked　up　part　of　a　news　broadcast。
　〃Bill；　how　are　the　people　of　New　York　handling　this　latest　blackout？〃
　〃Well；　so　far；　Maria；　we　have　no　reports　of　looting。　As　our　listeners　know　from　past　blackouts；　some　people　take　advantage　of　unfortunate　circumstances　like　these。　We　can　only　hope　that　the　governor…〃
　Nick　went　back　to　twisting　the　dial。
　The　meeting　could　have　something　to　do　with　the　New　York　situation；　but　blackouts　normally　don't　require　a　meeting　of　the　Security　Council。　Now　if　the　blackout　was　caused　by　terrorist　action　you　might　call　such　a　meeting。　But　why　invite　the　science　advisor？　It　couldn't　be　a　nuclear　attack。　Nick　wasn't　on　the　nuclear　response　team。　Besides；　a　nuclear　blast　would　certainly　have　made　the　newscasts　by　now。　Nick　spun　the　dial　looking　for　more　details　and　rested　briefly　on　a　talk　show。
　〃I'm　telling　you；　Gene；　this　is　what　I　saw。　The　road　is　gone；　the　trees　are　gone；　the　old　candle　factory　is　gone；　everything　is　gone。　Gone；　gone；　gone！　Can't　you　hear　what　I'm　telling　you？〃
　〃Ken　。　。　。　Ken；　I　can　hear　fine。　But　do　you　hear　what　you're　saying？　Do　you？　You　want　me　。　。　。　and　my　listeners　。。。　to　believe　that　you　turned　your　back　for　a　second；　just　a　second；　and　when　you　looked　back　everything　was　snowed　in？　Ken；　it　can't　snow　that　fast。〃
　〃I　didn't　say　it　snowed…〃
　〃Ken　。。。　let　me　finish　。　。　。　suddenly；　without　warning；　on　a　sixty…degree　night；　it　snows　thirty　or　forty　feet。　。　。　enough　to　cover　a　factory？　I'm　not　buying　it；　Ken。　Time　to　refill　your　prescription。〃
　〃Well　why　don't　you　e　out　here　and　I'll　take　some　of　that　imaginary　snow　and　shove　it…〃
　Nick　was　sorry　the　line　went　dead。　Ken　was　about　to　tell　the　talk　show　host　something　Nick　had　always　wanted　to　say　to　a　talk　show　host。
　〃Naughty；　naughty；　Ken。　We　must　please　the　FCC　now；　mustn't　we　。。。　you　butthead。　We've　got　Coop　from　Carlton；　Oregon；　on　line　three。　Go　ahead；　Coop；　you're　on　Night　Talk。〃
　〃Gene；　I　got　another　improbable　indecipherable　for　you。　There　was　a　supersonic　percussion　a　couple　of　hours　ago　from　the　direction　of　Portland。　I　just　got　back　from　taking　a　little　reconnaisance　ride。　I　could　only　make　about　ten　clicks。〃
　〃And　what　did　you　see　on　your　reconnoiter？〃
　〃It's　what　I　didn't　see。　Portland。〃
　〃You　didn't　see　Portland？　It's　a　good　thing　you　got　lost；　Coop。　Once　you've　seen　the　big　city　you'd　never　be　happy　on　your　farm　again。〃
　〃I'm　no　agricultural　entrepreneur；　and　I　didn't　get　lost。　Portland　did。　It's　not　there　anymore　and　where　it　used　to　be　there's　a　forest。〃
　〃Coop；　what　do　they　drink　out　there　in　Carlton；　or　should　I　say　how　much？〃
　Nick　could　not　believe　what　he　was　hearing。　Someone　was　on　the　radio　reporting　a　missing　city　and　sounding　serious。　The　idea　of　a　missing　city　was　odd　enough；　but　the　caller　made　it　seem　even　stranger。　It　was　something　in　the　way　he　spoke　about　it。　For　one　thing　the　caller　sounded　excited；　not　depressed；　not　bewildered；　not　even　sad。　Certainly　if　a　city　full　of　people　had　disappeared　it　would　be　a　disorienting　experience。　But　the　caller　sounded　downright　enthused。
　〃I　don't　imbibe　while　on　duty；　Gene；　and　I　consider　myself　on　duty　until　this　emergency　is　over。　I'm　a　reserve　police　officer　and　proud　of　it。〃
　〃I　have　reservations　about　police　officers　too。〃
　'That's　not　all　of　it；　Gene。　When　I　was　looking　through　my　optical　assistance　device　I　spotted　a　dinosaur。〃
　〃A　dinosaur？　You　mean　one　of　those　extinct　creatures　that　hasn't　existed　on　earth　for　a　few　million　years　or　so？〃
　〃What　else　could　it　be？　It　was　either　a　dinosaur　or　the　only　ten…foot　lizard　I've　ever　seen。　I'm　getting　ready　now　to　head　back　and　see　if　I　can　apprehend　the　trespassing　lizard。〃
　〃You　do　that；　Coop；　and　be　sure　to　call　back　and　let　us　know　when　you　catch　it。　Meanwhile　I'll　alert　my　listeners　to　be　on　the　lookout　for　a　missing　city。〃　The　line　was　cut　and　then　Gene　added；　〃Bob；　let's　start　screening　these　calls。　Is　there　a　full　moon　tonight　or　what？〃
　Then　Gene　punched　up　line　one　from　Sioux　City；　Iowa。
　〃Gene；　I　should　of　taken　your　advice。〃　The　caller　had　clearly　been　drinking。
　〃What　advice　was　that；　Sioux　City？〃
　〃You　told　me　to　get　rid　of　my　wife。　We　was　having　trouble　。　。　。　she　was　cheating　on　me。　You　told　me　to　take　her　stuff；　throw　it　out　of　the　house　and　her　with　it。〃
　〃I　remember；　Sioux　City。　So　what　happened？〃
　〃She　took　the　farm。〃
　〃The　farm　equipment？〃
　〃No；　damn　it；　she　took　the　whole…beeeeep…farm。〃
　〃Watch　your　language；　Sioux　City。〃
　〃We　had　a　big　fight　and　I　stomped　out　and　jumped　into　my　pickup　to　go　get　a　beer。　I　got　about　halfway　down　the　driveway　when　I　got　knocked　off　the　road　by　a　humpin'　big　noise。　I　still　can't　hear　so　good。　When　I　looked　back　the　place　was　gone。　I　got　no　house；　no　barn；　no　stock；　no　nothing。　But　I　got　plenty　of　nothing。〃
　〃You　wouldn't　happen　to　have　a　relative　living　in　Oregon　would　you？〃
　〃I　ain't　got　nothing　no　where。〃
　〃Well；　that　brings　us　to　the　news　on　the　hour　。　。　。　thank　God。　I'm　gonna　turn　it　over　to　Jim　Jenkins　with　all　the　latest　on　m