jdavid.footprintsofthunder-第61章

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ween　the　buildings；　walking　upright；　taking　long　powerful　strides。
　Mariel　remembered　the　men　had　guns　and　she　turned　to　warn　them　not　to　fire。
　〃He　won't　hurt　you。　I'll　take　care　of　him。　Let　me　send　him　back　to　his　meadow。〃　Her　words　fell　on　deaf　ears。　The　men　were　so　terrified　by　the　size　and　fearsome　appearance　of　the　iguanodon；　they　weren't　listening。　Still；　they　held　their　fire。
　Mariel　knew　the　iguanodon　was　in　danger；　and　she　pushed　out　her　arms　trying　to　send　him　back。　On　he　came；　however；　oblivious　of　the　danger。　As　he　approached　Mariel　he　began　to　bend；　ing　slowly　over　and　lowering　his　head　until　he　was　down　on　all　fours　just　behind　her。　Still　the　men　held　their　fire。　Mariel　stepped　forward　and　pushed　on　the　dinosaur's　jaw；　telling　him　to　go　away。　The　dinosaur　held　its　ground；　then　slowly　the　huge　jaws　opened　to　their　full　expanse。　Mariel　found　herself　staring　in　the　iguanodon's　cavernous　mouth　as　a　deep　rumbling　began　and　out　came　a　loud　〃aaaaaaaaaahhhhhhh！〃　From　the　far　end　of　the　barrier　a　shot　rang　out。　A　hole　appeared　just　behind　the　dinosaur's　jaw。　His　mouth　snapped　shut　at　the　impact　and　he　stared　into　Mariel's　eyes　for　a　few　heartbeats。　Then　he　reared；　rising　to　his　full　height　and　screaming　at　the　same　time。　Every　pistol　behind　the　barrier　fired　and　Mariel　watched　bloody　holes　pepper　the　thick　skin　of　the　iguanodon's　neck。
　Mariel's　heart　ached　and　she　screamed　for　the　shooting　to　stop。　It　didn't。　More　holes　appeared　along　his　neck　and　chest。　Sobbing；　she　ran　toward　the　shooting　men　waving　her　arms。　Then　just　as　quickly　as　it　began　the　shooting　ended。　Mariel　turned　to　see　the　wounded　dinosaur　walking　down　the　street　toward　his　meadow。　He　was　walking　upright；　but　slowly；　his　head　hung　low。　A　low　rumbling　groan　came　from　his　throat　with　each　jarring　step。
　〃Oh；　no。　Don't　go！〃　Mariel　called　after　him。　〃Please　e　back。〃　But　he　didn't。　She　went　after　him；　hurrying　to　catch　up。　She　heard　Luis　shout　something　behind　her；　but　she　ignored　him。　All　she　could　see　and　hear　was　her　injured　iguanodon　friend。
　The　dinosaur　strode　out　into　the　meadow…　Mariel　chased　behind；　trying　to　catch　up；　but　even；　injured；　the　iguanodon's　giant　stride　kept　him　moving　ahead。
　At　the　meadow　she　found　a　new　horror　awaiting　her。　The　crushed　grass　that　marked　the　iguanodon's　trail　was　smeared　with　blood。　Her　tears　began　to　flow　again。　〃Oh　no；〃　she　whispered　over　and　over；　〃oh　no！〃　Then　Mariel　wiped　her　eyes　and　followed　the　bloody　trail。
　
　Groggy；　Luis　got　to　his　feet；　but　he　staggered　when　he　stepped　toward　his　building。　He　heard　laughter　behind　him。　Barton　and　the　others　were　bragging　about　how　many　bullets　they　put　into　the　dinosaur。
　〃Pow；　man；　right　in　the　jaw。　Did　you　see　my　shot；　man？〃
　〃Your　shot？　Sheee…it。　My　shot。　Believe　it。〃
　〃Believe　shit；　man。〃
　Inside；　Luis　sat　on　the　stairs　to　rest。　When　his　head　cleared　a　little　and　the　spinning　subsided；　he　climbed　the　stairs　slowly；　pausing　on　each　one。　He　made　the　third　floor　and　staggered　down　the　hall　into　Mrs。　Weatherby's　apartment…to　her　rocking　chair　by　the　window。　He　collapsed　and　rocked　gently。　When　his　head　stopped　throbbing　he　opened　his　eyes　and　looked　out　the　window　into　the　meadow。　The　last　thing　Luis　saw　before　sleep　took　him　was　the　iguanodon　walking　slowly　into　the　meadow　followed　by　a　small　figure。
　
　39。　　BLACK　RIPPLE
　
　The　weakest　force　in　nature　is　gravity。　It　takes　the　entire　mass　of　the　earth　just　to　make　a　leaf　fall　to　the　ground。　But　condense　the　mass　of　the　earth　to　the　size　of　a　marble；　and　you　have　a　black　hole；　where　the　laws　of　time　and　space；　as　we　know　them；　cease　to　exist。
　…Merlin　Constantine；　Of　Time　and　Space
　
　Washington；　D。C。
　POSTQUILT：　TUESDAY；　8：00　A。M。　EST
　
　The　President　was　more　than　tired。　He　was　afraid；　and　he　was　desperate。
　Nick　had　taken　the　President's　alien　theory　as　a　naive　attempt　to　cover　all　possibilities；　but　Nick　wasn't　as　sure　now。　He　saw　the　President　as　a　drowning　man；　grasping　at　straws。
　The　President　would　be　open　to　Nick's　new　theory…but　perhaps　too　open。　The　President　spoke　calmly　and　in　a　controlled　manner；　but　his　fingers　told　another　story　as　he　reflexively　twirled　a　twisted　paper　clip。　Nick　looked　up　to　catch　Elizabeth　Hawthorne's　eye。　Normally　inscrutable；　now　she　looked　wor…ried…about　what　had　happened；　or　about　the　President？　Nick　wondered。
　The　order　of　reports　on　the　agenda　was　the　same；　and　Nick　had　to　wait　through　the　military　assessments　again。　There　was　still　no　identified　strategic　threat；　so　the　reports　focused　on　losses。　In　addition　to　the　loss　of　the　ELF　system；　contact　had　been　lost　with　seven　military　bases　in　the　United　States；　including　one　SAC　bomber　base；　several　bases　on　foreign　soil；　an　aircraft　carrier　group；　and　several　other　individual　ships。　There　were　also　munication　problems　with　some　Landsat　and　civilian　weather　satellites　and　loss　of　contact　with　some　military　KH　13　satellites。　Until　contact　could　be　reestablished；　the　military　was　substituting　aerial　reconnaissance　of　the　affected　areas。
　Samuel　Cannon's　report　included　a　confirmation　that　all　of　the　black　bag　projects　were　suspended；　as　the　President　had　ordered。　The　CIA's　report　also　included　a　surprise：　no　confirmation　of　the　dinosaurs　in　Oregon；　but　a　confirmed　report　of　dinosaurs　in　Quebec；　with　photos。　The　CIA　director's　aide　passed　around　copies。　Nick　had　trouble　believing　what　he　was　seeing。　The　heavily　armored　animal　walking　past　a　barn　was　five　feet　at　the　shoulders　and　fifteen　feet　in　length。　Its　body　was　bulky；　but　the　head　was　small　for　an　animal　this　size；　and　its　tail　was　as　armored　as　the　rest　of　the　body　and　tipped　with　two　spikes。　It　looked　like　an　overgrown　armadillo。　Cannon　reported　their　experts　identified　it　as　a　living　ankylosaur…an　animal　extinct　since　the　end　of　the　Cretaceous　period。
　Everyone　at　the　table　turned　to　look　at　Nick　with　new　respect…except　Gogh；　who　kept　his　eyes　on　the　photograph。
　The　report　on　the　civilian　situation　had　new　dimensions　of　horror。　Part　of　Mobile；　Alabama；　was　a　lava　field　now；　and　the　rest　a　firestorm。　An　avalanche　of　steaming　mud　had　buried　Aspen；　Colorado。　Omaha　was　inundated　by　a　wall　of　water　roaring　across　the　wheatfields。　Lake　Tahoe　had　overflowed　its　banks；　drowning　the　cities　of　South　Tahoe　and　Stateline。
　U。S。　military　bases　also　were　reporting　on　overseas　effects。　Part　of　Paris　was　forest；　and　most　of　Rome；　including　the　Vatican；　was　missing。　London　was　untouched；　but　there　were　severe　tidal　wave　losses　along　most　of　the　English　coast。　Scotland　was　gone。　Russia　and　the　Ukraine　were　the　only　East　European　countries　still　municating；　and　their　reports　had　a　familiar　ring。　Countries　all　over　South　America　and　Africa　were　pleading　for　help。　From　Central　America　came　reports　of　missing　cities　and　villages　and　strange　animals　roaming　the　countryside。　The　Panama　Canal　would　have　to　be　redug。
　The　reports　were　bleak；　endless；　and　repetitive；　and　soon；　under　Elizabeth's　urging；　the　President　cut　it　off　with　a　curt　〃thank　you〃　and　then　moved　down　the　agenda。
　When　Nick's　turn　came　he　asked　that　Colonel　Conrad；　Dr。　Roberts；　and　Sergeant　Yamamoto　be　admitted。　The　first　two　took　seats　against　the　wall　while　Yamamoto　went　immediately　to　the　puter。　Colonel　Conrad　looked　fortable；　every　inch　the　confident　professional。　Dr。　Roberts　looked　ill　at　ease　but　Yamamoto　appeared　almost　gleeful。　The　chance　to　sit　with　the　Security　Council　and　hear　the　secrets　of　the　secret　was　his　fantasy　bee　reality。
　Yamamoto's　puter　was　linked　to　a　special　overhead　projector；　which　enlarged　the　puter　images　and　projected　them　on　a　wall　screen。　Now　he　called　up　the　list　of　events　and　dates。
　Nick　began；　〃Mr。　President；　we　have　a　theory　that　may　help　us　explain　what　has　happened。　If　you　remember　my　earlier　report　I　said　that　what　appears　to　have　happened　could　best　be　described　as　time　displacement。　1　still　believe　that　to　be　true；　and　the　photo　of　the　ankylosaur　and　other　evidence　support　the　theory。　I　also　said　that　it　might　be　a　natural　phenomenon。　I　was　wrong　about　that。〃
　Heads　turned　and　mumbling　filled　the　room。　Elizabeth　leaned　forward　and　whispered　in　the　President's　ear。　He　nodded　and　then　spoke。
　〃If　it　was　not　natural　then　was　it　an　attack