jdavid.footprintsofthunder-第43章

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armed　airmen　who　questioned　them　thoroughly。　Bill　was　given　a　badge；　but　Terry　had　to　have　his　photo　ID　made　on　the　spot。
　Bill　knew　his　way　around　and　led　Terry　to　a　conference　room。　He　had　the　guards　spill　the　bags　onto　the　oversize　table　and　then　began　sifting　through　the　contents。　He　found　the　puter　disks；　and　the　hard　drive；　then　led　Terry　down　the　hall　through　another　security　check　and　into　a　room　filled　with　puter　terminals　and　work　stations。　One　station　was　occupied　by　a　pretty　black　woman　who　didn't　look　much　older　than　Terry's　daughter；　Carolyn。　She　smiled　when　Bill　headed　directly　for　her。　She　wasn't　wearing　a　uniform　but　Bill　called　her　Lieutenant　Gillespie。
　〃I　thought　you　were　on　vacation；　sir。〃
　〃I　was；　but　something　brought　me　back。〃
　〃It　wouldn't　be　a　few　missing　cities；　three　air　bases；　an　aircraft　carrier　group；　not　to　mention　the　loss　of　the　ELF　system？〃
　Terry　had　a　sudden　urge　to　run　to　the　nearest　airport　and　catch　a　flight　home。　One　missing　city　had　bee　two；　and　now　a　〃few。〃　Bill　must　have　been　equally　shocked　but　merely　said　calmly；　〃I　need　an　analysis　of　these　as　soon　as　possible。〃　As　always；　he　was　the　consumate　professional。
　〃Colonel；　I'll　give　if　highest　priority；　but　it　will　take　at　least　several　hours。〃
　Bill　and　Terry　waited　while　Lieutenant　Gillespie　copied　the　disks　and　the　files　from　the　hard　drive。　When　she　returned　them　Bill　asked　her　if　she　had　ever　heard　of　an　ancient　prophet　called　Zorastrus。
　〃I've　heard　of　Zorro；〃　she　said　with　a　smile。
　Bill　thanked　her　and　then　led　Terry　through　another　door。　At　the　end　of　a　hall　Bill　turned　into　a　room　that　was　filled　with　puter　parts　and　repair　equipment。　He　exchanged　a　few　words　with　the　counter　man　and　then　led　Terry　to　the　back；　past　shelves　filled　with　parts。　In　a　small　room　filled　with　more　bits　and　pieces　of　puters　was　an　Asian　man　of　about　thirty；　with　thick　black　hair　and　rumpled　clothes。　His　nose　was　six　inches　away　from　a　puter　screen。　Several　Styrofoam　cups　of　old　coffee　surrounded　him。　Monitors；　puters；　and　keyboards　were　lying　everywhere。　The　beeps　of　a　puter　game　filled　the　room。
　〃Phil；　I　need　a　favor。〃
　Phil　punched　the　tab　button　with　his　little　finger　and　the　game　froze　on　the　screen。
　〃Official　or　unofficial？〃
　〃An　unofficial　favor　but　official　business。〃
　〃Classified；　top　secret　stuff？〃　Phil　asked　eagerly。
　〃Tip　top　secret。　I　shouldn't　even　be　showing　it　to　you。〃
　〃All　right！　Let　me　see。〃
　Bill　handed　him　two　boxes　of　disks　and　the　hard　drive。　Phil　soon　had　a　screen　full　of　icons。
　〃What　gives？　You　promised　me　something　secret。　This　isn't　even　access　protected。　No　challenge；　no　deal。〃
　〃The　challenge　is　figuring　out　what　it　all　means。　No　one　else　has　been　able　to　figure　it　out。〃
　〃No　one？〃　Phil　asked　hopefully。
　〃Two　CIA　cryptographers　got　canned　because　they　couldn't　figure　it　out；〃　Bill　lied。
　〃Hot　damn。　I'm　on　it。　What　should　I　look　for？　A　message？　Diagrams？　Plans？〃
　〃I　wouldn't　want　to　send　you　down　the　wrong　path。　I'll　check　back　with　you。　Call　me　if　you　get　something。〃
　They　started　to　leave；　but　then　Bill　turned　back。
　〃Hey；　Phil。　You　ever　hear　of　Zorastrus？〃
　〃Yeah；　the　prophet　of　Babylon；〃　Phil　said　without　taking　his　eyes　from　the　puter　screen。　〃Pretty　astute　guy。　Not　as　well　known　as　Nostradamus。　Probably　because　his　career　got　cut　short。　Some　of　his　short…sighted　contemporaries　thought　he　was　a　little　too　smart。　They　put　him　in　a　pit　and　stoned　him。〃　Phil　looked　up　at　Bill　and　Terry　with　a　serious　face。　〃Does　he　have　anything　to　do　with　what's　happened？　He　made　some　pretty　scary　predictions。〃
　〃Don't　know；　Phil。　Honestly。〃
　As　they　left；　Bill　directed　Terry　to　a　phone　so　he　could　call　his　daughter；　Carolyn；　who　was　full　of　questions　Terry　couldn't　or　wouldn't　answer；　but　otherwise　she　was　fine。　After　assuring　Carolyn　he　would　call　as　soon　as　he　found　out　about　John；　Terry　caught　up　with　Bill。
　〃You　really　think　that　Phil　will　turn　up　anything？〃
　〃Terry；　there's　two　ways　to　pick　a　lock。　One　is　to　work　through　it　systematically。　Start　with　zero　right；　zero　left；　zero　right；　and　then　try　zero　right；　zero　left；　one　right。　Eventually　you　will　open　that　lock。　Lieutenant　Gillespie's　people　will　do　it　that　way。　Phil…well；　he's　an　unguided　missile　with　an　uncanny　record　of　hitting　targets；　targets　he　wasn't　aiming　for。　He　knew　about　Zorastrus；　didn't　he？〃
　〃So　why　is　he　fixing　puters？〃
　〃Partly　by　choice；　but　mostly　because　he's　the　biggest　blabbermouth　in　the　service。　He　couldn't　keep　a　secret　if　his　life　depended　on　it；　but　in　this　case　it　doesn't　matter。　Even　God　couldn't　cover　this　up。〃
　
　28。　THE　BROOD
　
　The　lost　age　of　Man　will　be　the　great　transfiguration　and　society；　and　the　world；　will　never　be　the　same；　I　can　see　no　further　ages；　not　because　they　will　not　e；　but　because　the　future　is　confused。
　…The　Prophecies　of　Melchi…Zedek
　
　Warm　Springs　Indian　Reservation；　Oregon
　POSTQUILT：　MONDAY；　6：50　A。M。　PST
　
　　Colter　was　the　first　out　of　the　RV　in　the　morning；　looking　for　a　place　to　relieve　himself。　But　as　soon　as　he　stepped　out　he　started　cussing。　Sid　and　three　of　his　friends　were　waiting　under　the　RV　and　darted　out　when　Colter　stepped　down；　nearly　making　him　wet　his　pants。　Still　cussing　over　the　scare；　he　placed　his　bare　foot　in　psittacosaurus　droppings。　Colter　loosed　another　barrage　of　profanity　while　wiping　his　foot　on　the　grass。　When　he　finally　got　far　enough　away　to　urinate；　Sid　and　friends　ran　around　harassing　him。　Colter　pissed　at　them　as　they　ran　by　but　missed　them　and　sprinkled　his　foot　by　mistake。　He　cussed　some　more　and　began　wiping　his　foot　again。　His　cussing　was　so　loud　and　long；　the　others　were　up　when　he　got　back。　Colter　intended　to　climb　back　into　his　sleeping　bag；　but　someone　had　rolled　it　up　while　he　was　gone。
　Dr。　Coombs　cooked　bacon　and　eggs　and　sour　dough　biscuits　while　the　others　cleaned　up　the　RV　and　prepared　for　the　morning　activities。
　The　morning　was　cool　but　fortable；　so　they　ate　outside　under　the　tarp。　Sid　and　two　other　psittacosauri　circled　around　the　table；　darting　in　and　out；　snatching　up　any　scraps　as　soon　as　they　hit　the　ground。　The　animals　were　being　a　nuisance；　but　the　group；　despite　their　better　judgment；　couldn't　help　but　feed　the　unusual　little　creatures。　Partway　through　the　meal　Petra　remembered　Moose　and　took　him　some　eggs　and　part　of　a　biscuit。
　After　breakfast　they　started　their　study　by　examining　the　edge　of　the　meadow。　Dr。　Piltcher　had　Colter　dig　down　where　the　green　meadow　met　the　desert。　The　edge　of　the　turf　came　up　easily；　and　soon　Dr。　Piltcher　was　finger…bing　his　hair。　Dr。　Coombs　spoke　first。
　〃Everything　is　intact。　There　is　not　a　root　broken。　And　look　along　the　edge　here。　There　isn't　a　broken　blade　of　grass　anywhere　along　the　edge。〃
　〃Yes；　I　see；〃　said　Dr。　Piltcher。　〃Somewhere　a　hundred　million　years　in　the　past　is　a　piece　of　turf　that　would　match　up　perfectly　with　this　edge。　Very　odd。　I　would　have　expected　something　violent。　But　this　seems　tender。　Not　a　blade　of　grass　torn　or　uprooted。〃
　〃Yes；〃　Dr。　Coombs　agreed；　〃gentle　but　perhaps　too　gentle。　Look　at　how　easily　the　roots　were　exposed。　They　weren't　embedded　in　the　soil。　They　need　to　take　root　again　or　these　grasses　will　not　survive；　not　to　mention　the　bushes　or　trees；〃
　Petra　had　been　listening　silently；　absorbing　each　word。　Since　she　rarely　broke　into　their　discussions；　they　listened　when　she　did。
　〃They　won't　live　anyway。　This　is　tropical　vegetation；　or　at　least　subtropical。　This　climate　won't　even　support　a　pine　forest；　let　alone　a　jungle。　These　grasses　are　going　to　start　drying　up　soon；　and　when　the　vegetation　dies；　so　will　Sid　and　his　friends；　and　any　other　animals　we　might　find　in　here。〃
　〃She's　right；〃　Dr。　Piltcher　said。　〃We　need　to　identify　as　many　species　as　we　can　as　quickly　as　possible。　Once　we　know　what　we　are　dealing　with　we　need　to　get　help　to　relocate　the　plant　and　animal　life。〃
　〃What？〃　Colter　cut　in。　〃Moose　is　okay；　we　can't　seem　to　get　him　out；　but　if　you're　thinking　of　carrying　Sid　and　his　friends　along；　think　again。　Did　you　smell　that　mess　he　made　in　the　RV？〃
　Petra　quickly　stepped　in　to　smooth　things　over。
　〃It　may　happen　again。　You　know　how　badly　Sid　reacts　when　he　feels　trapped。〃
　〃One　way　or　a