jdavid.footprintsofthunder-第7章

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　if　the　military　man　did　something？　What　if　he　did　something　that　made　the　kid　punish　the　group？　On　the　other　hand；　Terry　didn't　know　enough　about　the　kid's　condition　to　be　certain　that　he　wasn't　a　danger。
　Terry　had　once　worked　with　a　paranoid　schizophrenic　named　Larry　who　was　high　functioning。　He　lived　in　his　own　apartment；　held　down　a　laborer's　job；　and　took　good　care　of　a　white　Persian　cat　named　Katrina。　If　it　hadn't　been　for　his　persistent　claims　that　a　group　of　telepathic　Masons　were　trying　to　kill　him；　Terry　would　not　have　been　treating　Larry。　Then　one　day　a　salesman　wearing　a　Mason's　pin　came　to　Larry's　door。　Larry　shot　the　salesman　in　the　chest；　later　claiming　self…defense。　Larry　ended　up　in　the　state　mental　hospital　and　Katrina　in　the　animal　shelter。　Could　this　kid　be　another　Larry？　Did　Terry　want　the　military　man　betting　all　of　their　lives　that　he　wouldn't　be　another　Larry？
　Terry　gently　pushed　Ellen　into　a　sitting　position；　and　then　cleared　his　throat。
　〃What　is　your　name？〃　he　said　weakly。　Then；　in　a　stronger　voice；　he　repeated　himself。　〃It's　Kenny；　isn't　it？〃
　The　kid　raised　his　head；　his　eyes　glassy。　Slowly　his　head　turned　in　Terry's　direction。　Terry　noticed　the　gun　followed　his　stare。　Even　when　Kenny　was　finally　facing　Terry；　he　wasn't　sure　the　kid　was　seeing　him。
　〃I　said　no　talking。〃
　The　kid　said　it　without　conviction。　Terry　assumed　he　was　as　bored　as　the　rest　of　them；　and　probably　more　scared。
　〃It's　Kenny；〃　his　sister　answered　for　him。　〃Kenny　Randall；　the　nut　case。〃
　Kenny　glared　at　his　sister；　but　the　gun　remained　pointed　at　Terry。
　〃I'm　Terry；　Kenny；　and　this　is　my　wife；　Ellen。〃　Terry　thought　about　telling　Kenny　he　was　a　psychologist。　Sometimes　troubled　people　found　that　reassuring。　On　the　other　hand；　many　people　who　have　had　institutional　experiences　harbor　hostility　toward　psychologists。　Terry　decided　it　was　too　soon　to　mention　his　profession。
　〃Kenny；　Ellen　and　I　are　scared；　and　I　bet　you　are　too。　Are　you　scared；　Kenny？〃
　Kenny's　eyes　were　still　unfocused；　but　he　seemed　to　be　taking　the　whole　group　in。　Terry　wondered　if　he　was　monitoring　the　progress　of　the　military　man。
　〃I　don't　want　to　talk　about　it。〃
　〃What　don't　you　want　to　talk　about；　Kenny？〃
　〃About　what　is　going　to　happen。〃
　〃Kenny；　I　want　to　understand　this。　What　is　going　to　happen？〃
　Kenny's　eyes　finally　focused　on　Terry。　His　direct　stare；　gun　in　his　hand；　twisted　Terry's　stomach　into　a　knot。
　〃I　already　told　you。　The　world　is　going　to　end。〃
　〃How；　Kenny？　How　will　the　world　end？〃
　〃You　don't　believe　me。　No　one　believes　me。　I　tried　to　tell　people　but　no　one　would　listen。　No　one　would　believe　me　when　I　told　them。　I　even　tried　to　show　them；　but　they　wouldn't　see　it。〃　Then　with　bitterness　in　his　voice；　and　a　nod　toward　his　sister；　he　added；　〃Even　my　own　family　wouldn't　believe　me。〃
　Terry　had　worked　with　a　number　of　paranoid　patients　before　and　Kenny　seemed　to　have　the　symptoms。　Kenny　believed　he　had　secret　knowledge；　something　he　had　discovered　and　something　only　he　could　understand。　If　Kenny　was　paranoid　then　he　was　potentially　dangerous。
　〃Kenny；　you　haven't　told　me　about　it　yet。　I　promise　you　I　will　try　to　understand。〃
　〃I　told　you；　he　thinks　the　sky　is　falling；〃　Kenny's　sister　said。　Kenny's　eyes　flamed　and　his　face　reddened。　〃You　never　really　listened　to　me；　did　you；　Jill？　I　never　said　the　sky　was　falling。　I　said　things　were　falling　from　the　sky。　There's　a　difference；　a　big　difference。　I　have　the　proof　too；　but　you　wouldn't　look　at　it；　would　you？〃
　Terry　saw　Kenny's　anger　was　welling　up　and　worried　it　might　drive　Kenny　to　lash　outmaybe　with　the　gun。　Terry　decided　to　try　again　to　deflect　Kenny's　attention　from　his　sister。　He　could　see　Kenny　loved　her；　but　her　ments　were　provoking　Kenny's　anger。
　〃Kenny；　I　really　would　like　to　hear　your　story…theory。〃　Kenny　sat　silently；　breathing　deeply　and　staring　at　Terry。　Terry；　afraid　that　murder　was　going　through　the　kid's　mind；　was　relieved　when　Kenny　finally　spoke。
　〃All　right；　smart　man。　Can　you　understand　why　corn　falls　from　a　clear　blue　sky？　Can　you　understand　why　people　suddenly　burst　into　flame？　Can　you　understand　how　whole　civilizations　simply　disappear？　At　first　we　couldn't　either。　But　then　we　found　someone　else　who　had　seen　it；　someone　a　long　time　ago。　Everyone　thought　he　was　crazy　too。　He　understood　it；　and　so　did　we　finally。　We　proved　it　just　as　scientists　should。　We　had　the　data；　the　theory；　and　the　evidence；　and　still　no　one　believed　us。〃
　Kenny　looked　lost　in　thought　for　a　minute；　a　pained　expression　on　his　face。　Then　Kenny's　expression　changed　to　profound　sadness；　and　he　spoke　again。
　〃I　wish　to　God　that　corn　had　rained　on　someone　else。　Maybe　I　was　meant　to　know。　Maybe　I　stumbled　into　it　accidentally。　It　doesn't　matter　now；　it　will　be　over　soon。〃
　From　a　professional　viewpoint；　Terry　saw　much　to　explore　in　what　Kenny　had　blurted　out。　He　was　emoting　freely；　and　if　this　had　been　a　therapy　session　Terry　would　have　followed　each　lead　deep　into　Kenny's　subconscious。　Things　falling　from　the　sky；　people　burning；　the　mention　of　God。　Were　people　being　burned　for　their　sins？　Who　were　the　〃we〃　Kenny　referred　to　and　who　was　the　person　from　long　ago？　But　Kenny　wasn't　a　patient　and　certainly　wouldn't　cooperate。　Terry　knew　he　had　to　focus　on　their　immediate　situation。　Even　the　briefest　therapy　was　no　good　here。
　〃Will　we　burst　into　flame；　Kenny？　Is　that　what's　going　to　happen？〃　Terry　worried　that　Kenny　might　have　a　can　of　gasoline　in　that　yellow　backpack；　and　when　the　world　didn't　end　he　might　try　to　simulate　it。
　〃No；　we're　not　going　to　burn；　at　least　I　don't　think　so。　Not　down　this　far。　I　hope　not；　but　I　don't。　。　。〃　Kenny's　sentence　trailed　off　and　his　face　showed　confusion　and　then　anger。　〃How　am　I　supposed　to　know？　Jeez；　I'm　not　some　sort　of　Einstein。　I　only　know　it's　going　to　happen。〃　Kenny　glanced　at　his　watch。　〃And　it's　going　to　happen　soon。〃
　〃Are　you　expecting　a　nuclear　attack；　Kenny？　Is　that　why　some　people　will　burn？〃
　〃No；　nothing　like　that。。。　well。。。〃　Kenny's　lips　pulled　up　briefly　into　a　smile。　〃In　a　way　it　is　a　nuclear　attack。　But　it　is　more　than　that；　it's　natural　too。〃
　〃A　natural　nuclear　attack。　Can　you　explain　that；　Kenny？〃
　Kenny　quickly　lost　his　smile。
　〃No；　I　can't。　I　won't。　If　I'm　wrong　you'll　all　be　free　soon。　If　I'm　right　you'll　be　thanking　me。　I　won't　talk　anymore。〃
　Kenny　dug　into　his　backpack　and　brought　out　a　handful　of　granola　bars　and　tossed　them　into　the　group。
　〃Here；　eat　something。〃
　Slowly　the　group　passed　them　around。　Only　the　children　ate。
　
　7。　　CHICKEN　LITTLE　SUMMER
　
　Seven　solor　ages　are　referred　to　in　Mayan　manuscripts；　in　Buddhist　sacred　books；　in　the　books　of　the　Sibyl。。。。　The　〃suns〃　are　explained　（by　the　sources　themselves）　as　consecutive　epochs；　each　of　which　went　down　in　a　great；　general　destruction。
　…Immanuel　Velikovsky；　Worlds　in　Collision
　
　Oregon　Caves
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　　Kenny　sat　with　his　back　to　the　cave　entrance　and　his　eyes　fixed　forward。　He　couldn't　bring　himself　to　look　any　of　them　in　the　eye。　It　was　too　painful。　He　could　see　what　they　were　thinking。　It　didn't　matter　what　the　old　lady　said；　or　the　other　man。　They　all　thought　he　was　crazy。　But　I'm　not　crazy；　he　told　himself　over　and　over　again。　I'm　not　crazy！　He　wished　the　others　from　Dr。　Piltcher's　group　were　here　so　they　could　back　him　up；　testify　to　what　they　all　sincerely　believed。　They　had　figured　it　out；　but　more　importantly　they　had　proved　it。
　
　Their　first　real　success　came　just　after　the　Fourth　of　July。　Kenny　and　Phat　had　worked　every　night　in　June　on　the　program；　trying　to　refine　the　geographical　and　temporal　predictions；　but　felt　trapped　in　a　vicious　cycle。　If　they　could　successfully　predict　even　a　single　fall；　they　could　refine　their　model；　but　until　they　predicted　a　fall；　the　imperfect　model　couldn't　define　the　location　of　an　event。　So　night　after　night　the　other　students　and　volunteers　sat　at　picnic　tables　in　the　campgrounds；　and　by　propane　light　bed　through　newspapers　searching　for　the　impossible。　Dr。　Piltcher　and　Dr。　Coombs　sat　at　another　table；　poring　over　the　Zorastrus　manuscript　and　other　ancient　texts；　trying　to　find　historical　data　to　help　shape　the　model。　Phat　and