jdavid.footprintsofthunder-第49章

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s　saw　a　misty　shimmering　cityscape。　It　was　an　unsettling　sight…a　dinosaur　as　tall　as　a　two…story　build…ing　walking　off　toward　a　shimmering　city　skyline。
　Too　stunned　to　speak；　Luis　stood　in　the　window；　not　knowing　what　to　say　anyway。　Mrs。　Weatherby　called　up　to　him　and　waved。　Numbly　Luis　waved　back　and　then　went　to　the　couch　to　lie　down。　Soon　he　couldn't　tell　if　he　was　awake　or　asleep。　Was　he　hallucinating？　Had　the　Diablos　cracked　his　skull？　He　couldn't　have　seen　Mrs。　Weatherby　hand…feeding　a　dinosaur；　could　he？　Luis　was　still　trying　to　sort　reality　from　fantasy　when　consciousness　folded　into　sleep。
　
　32。　　PUGLISI
　
　The　theory　that　the　Cretaceous…Tertiary　mass　extinction　was　caused　by　a　meteorite　is　gaining　credibility。　It's　not　a　good　theory；　but　the　best　there　is　to　explain　what　happened　to　the　dinosaurs。
　…Cindy　Wong；　fhe　Cretaceous　Mystery
　
　Honolulu；　Hawaii
　POSTQUILT：　MONDAY；　9：30　A。M。　AHT
　　Emmett　Puglisi　reclined　in　Professor　Wang's　new　blue　executive　chair　and　gently　rocked　and　swiveled；　admiring　the　smooth　motion　and　the　deep　blue　padded　armrests。　He　wondered　vaguely　if　he　would　someday　have　this　chair　too。　He'd　inherited　Dr。　Wang's　old　chair。　When　the　new　one　had　been　delivered；　Emmett　happened　to　be　walking　down　the　hall。　Emmett　had　asked　for　the　old　chair；　and　she　gave　it　to　him。　Of　course　jealous　colleagues　claimed　he　kissed　up　to　Dr。　Wang　for　the　chair；　but　it　had　been　a　matter　of　timing；　not　brownnosing。　Dr。　Wang　had　taken　pity　on　him；　even　though　half　a　dozen　associate　professors；　with　seniority　on　lowly　Assistant　Professor　Puglisi；　would　have　liked　the　chair。　But　Emmett　had　been　in　the　right　place　at　the　right　time。　It　had　been　like　that　for　much　of　his　life。
　Emmett　had　been　wait…listed　for　the　graduate　program　in　astrophysics　at　the　University　of　Hawaii；　and　only　been　adnutted　late　in　August；　just　two　weeks；　before　the　start　of　the　semester。　He　fared　well　in　his　studies；　but　as　graduation　approached　his　efforts　at　finding　a　job　had　not　gone　well。　He　received　two　phone　interviews　for　instructor　positions　on　the　mainland；　but　no　offers　and　had　serious　prospects　until　one　of　the　faculty　at　the　University　had　taken　ill。　Then　Emmett　agreed　to　fill　in　on　a　one…year　appointment。　That　appointment　was　followed　by　another　to　fill　a　vacancy　created　by　a　sabbatical。　Another　sabbatical　followed　and　another　appointment。　That　year　Emmett　won　a　teaching　award　and　co…authored　a　successful　National　Science　Foundation　grant。　When　a　tenure…track　position　opened　up　for　the　next　year　Emmett　had　advance　information　and　successfully　campaigned　for　the　position。
　That　was　two　years　ago；　and　now　he　found　himself　in　the　right　place　at　the　right　time　again。　Although　this　time　he　wasn't　sure　it　wasn't　the　right　place　at　the　wrong　time。
　Dr。　Wang　had　disappeared　along　with　four　of　their　colleagues。　Now　there　were　five　empty　offices　on　Emmett's　floor；　but　only　Dr。　Wang's　was　part　of　PresNet。　Emmett　had　resisted　at　first；　but　the　news　reports　of　widespread　disaster　didn't　ring　true　to　him；　and　his　thirst　for　understanding　grew　until　he　could　no　longer　resist。
　Emmett　wasn't　authorized　to　access　the　PresNet；　but　he　knew　Dr。　Wang's　puter　was　networked　and　would　automatically　access　the　system。　Once　into　the　system　he　could　read　the　posted　messages；　but　to　send　you　needed　a　security　code。　He　had　ransacked　Dr。　Wang's　office　until　he　found　it　taped　to　the　bottom　of　her　new　chair。　The　little　news　the　islands　were　getting　was　confused　and　impossible　to　believe。　Floods；　avalanches；　disappearing　cities；　none　of　it　made　sense。　As　far　as　he　knew；　Hawaii　had　been　spared　a　disaster　like　those　described　on　the　network。
　Emmett　had　hoped　the　PresNet　would　have　more　information；　something　that　could　make　sense　of　it。　He　was　disappointed。　It　was　filled　with　the　same　kinds　of　reports　being　carried　on　the　news；　but　with　more　detail　and　in　more　variety。　The　mystery　was　only　getting　bigger。
　So　he　sat　in　total　frustration；　watching　the　scientific　parade　pass　him　by；　his　self…pity　interrupted　only　when　he　heard　a　tapping　at　the　partially　closed　door。
　Associate　Professor　Carrollee　Chen…Slater　came　through　the　door　holding　two　paper　cups　of　coffee。　Emmett　had　his　usual　mixed　reaction。　He　was　happy　to　see　her　again；　but　also　a　little　apprehensive。
　She　was　the　only　woman　in　the　botany　department　and　was　highly　regarded　for　her　petence。　Carrollee　was　also　valued　because　of　her　multicultural　background。　Her　mother　was　half　Nez　Perce　and　a　quarter　each　of　Polish　and　Hispanic；　and　her　father　was　a　mix　of　Chinese　and　Swedish。　The　Slater　name　came　from　his　stepfather；　who　adopted　him。　On　her　office　desk　was　a　sign　that　read　simply　MELTED　POT。
　Carrollee　was　as　popular　with　students　as　Emmett　was。　She'd　won　a　campus　teaching　award　and　two　departmental　awards。　Carroilee　was　also　popular　among　the　faculty。　She　was　friendly　toward　everyone；　and　everyone　appreciated　her　ready　smile　and　sense　of　humor。　The　faculty　was　also　generally　amused　by　the　outlandish　clothes　she　wore。　Today　her　brown　curly　hair　was　pushed　to　the　right　side　of　her　face　and　held　in　place　with　a　large　silver　barrette。　Under　her　unbuttoned　lab　coat；　Emmett　could　see　a　one…piece　black　jumpsuit　with　an　oversize　silver　belt　with　a　huge　oval　buckle。　He　often　wondered　if　those　cover…up　lab　coats　weren't　keeping　Carroilee　on　tenure　track。
　〃You　know；　Emmett；　it's　customary　to　wait　until　a　person　is　declared　dead　before　you　move　into　their　office。　Have　you　no　respect？〃
　Emmett　took　Carrollee's　coffee　and　ments　as　she　meant　them；　good…naturedly。　Carroilee　was　as　amiable　a　person　as　Emmett　had　ever　met。　He　knew　she　had　personally　called　the　families　of　the　missing　faculty；　and　visited　some。　She　was　respectful　and　somber　when　proper；　and　genuine　tears　of　empathy　came　readily。　But　Carroilee　preferred　to　live　her　life　with　a　smile　and　rarely　lost　it　when　she　was　with　Emmett。
　〃I　respect　the　dead；　but　I　covet　the　position　and　power　of　this　office。〃
　〃I　wouldn't　say　that　to　too　many　people。　The　way　it　looks　you'll　bee　department　head　by　default。　They　start　putting　two　and　two　together　and　you　could　end　up　at　the　top　of　the　suspect　list。〃
　〃Suspect？　You　think　some　lowly　assistant　professor　wreaked　worldwide　havoc　to　bee　department　chairman？　I'm　flattered　you　think　I　have　the　wherewithal　to　acplish　this。〃
　〃I　don't　think　you　have　the　wherewithal　to　remember　to　keep　your　fly　closed。　Others　just　don't　know　you　as　well　as　I　do。〃
　〃Thanks；　Carrollee；〃　Emmett　said；　surreptitiously　checking　his　zipper。　〃It's　nice　to　know　that　no　matter　how　bad　things　get；　you　can　always　make　them　worse。　Of　course　this　time　I　may　have　made　things　worse　by　myself。　Take　a　look　at　this。〃　Emmett　swiveled　the　monitor　around　to　make　it　easier　for　Carrollee　to　read。　Her　eyebrows　went　up　when　she　realized　he　was　on　the　PresNet。　Then　she　clucked　her　tongue　and　shook　her　head。
　〃Let　me　summarize　the　situation；〃　she　said；　plopping　down　into　one　of　the　visitors'　chairs。　〃You've　broken　into　a　private　office；　accessed　a　puter　network　you　are　not　authorized　to　use…that's　theft　of　services；　I　think…and　are　in　possession　of　sensitive　information　you're　not　cleared　for。　And　now　you　are　impersonating　someone　with　enough　brains　to　be　part　of　PresNet。　Did　I　leave　anything　out？〃
　〃Yeah；　I　ate　a　package　of　Tic　Tacs　I　found　in　Dr。　Wang's　desk。〃
　〃Of　course。　I　was　wondering　why　I　could　get　this　close　to　you。　I　don't　suppose　a　busy　lawbreaker　like　you　has　time　to　lend　a　hand　to　a　lady？　I　had　a　proposition　for　you。〃
　〃You　really　shouldn't　make　a　habit　of　propositioning　people。〃
　〃Hey；　it　keeps　me　from　streetwalking。〃　Carrollee　looked　around　the　room。　〃Does　Dr。　Wang　have　a　radio　in　here？　No；　then　you　may　not　have　heard　the　news。〃
　Emmett　rocked　forward。　Had　something　new　happened？
　Carrollee　began。　〃First；　there　have　been　some　ugly　incidents　at　grocery　stores　throughout　the　islands。　I　drove　by　a　Safeway　on　the　way　in　and　they've　got　police　stationed　all　around　it。〃
　Even　a　big　island　like　Oahu　was　overstocked　with　people　and　understocked　with　resources。　Without　supplies　from　the　mainland　there　wasn't　enough　food　to　last　thirty　days。　Pineapple；　sugar；　and　fish　would　only　go　so　far　among　a　million　people。　Gas　a