jdavid.footprintsofthunder-第53章

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an　showed　massive　amounts　of　debris　in　the　water。　The　water　itself　looked　more　like　mud；　and　there　were　whole　evergreen　trees　mixed　in　the　muck；　their　roots　and　crowns　jumbled　together。　Wherever　this　land　had　been　displaced　from；　it　had　the　bad　luck　of　being　displaced　into　the　ocean。　Whatever　animal　or　human　life　it　had　held　was　lost　now。
　There　were　three　sealed　envelopes　at　the　bottom　of　the　pile　marked　SECRET　and　stamped　with　a　red　top…secret　seal。　One　envelope　was　labeled　New　York　City；　the　second　Atlanta；　and　the　third　Montreal。　Each　envelope　carried　a　label　with　the　obligatory　warning　against　unauthorized　access　to　the　information　inside　and　the　requisite　listing　of　penalties。　The　first　envelope　included　an　aerial　photo　of　New　York　City…a　picture　worth　a　thousand　words；　snowing　what　Nick　had　only　read　about。　At　first　glance　it　looked　normal；　but　scribed　across　one　edge　of　the　city　was　a　neat　line。　On　one　side　was　a　dense　urban　setting；　on　the　other　side；　nothing。　Nick　had　heard　the　devastation　described　as　〃prairie〃　in　some　reports；　but　from　an　aerial　photo　it　looked　like　a　void。　A　second　photo　showed　more　of　the　city　and　the　surrounding　urban　area。　The　shape　of　the　void　approximated　an　oval。　Pulling　the　Landsat　photo　out　of　the　stack　again；　Nick　held　it　close　to　his　eyes。　Most　of　the　quilt　pieces　seemed　to　be　oval。
　The　third　photo　confused　him。　It　was　the　same　photo　of　New　York；　but　in　this　photo　the　section　of　missing　city　was　there。　He　looked　closely　at　it；　noticing　that　part　of　the　photo…where　the　quilt　section　had　been…was　fuzzy。　There　were　time　notations　in　the　bottom　corner　of　the　photos；　indicating　that　the　third　was　taken　after　the　photo　with　the　void。　Nick　examined　the　photos　again。　The　third　photo　showed　the　city　in　the　center　of　the　quilt　section　that　became　fuzzy　toward　the　edges。　Was　the　city　ing　back？　Nick　turned　to　the　acpanying　report　and　began　to　read。　When　he　finished　he　immediately　began　posing　a　message　for　the　PresNet；　the　top　secret　classification　quickly　forgotten。　While　he　typed；　a　message　appeared　at　the　bottom　of　the　screen。　As　it　scrolled　up　Nick　realized　it　was　essentially　the　message　he　was　about　to　send。　It　was　from　Dr。　Gogh。
　
　44。　　OCEAN　RIDE
　
　People　of　all　ages　will　bee　prisoners　of　the　unseen。　Good　times　will　bee　times　of　misfortune；　bitterness　will　replace　sweetness：　The　wealth　of　nations　will　float　in　the　wind；
　…Zorastrus；　Prophet　of　Babylon
　
　Off　Naples；　Florida
　POSTQUILT：　TUESDAY；　　12：00　NOON　EST
　
　　Ron　woke　at　midday　to　find　everyone　else　asleep　on　the　back　of　the　beast。　He　was　thirsty；　but　the　water　had　to　be　rationed。　Even　with　a　deep　tan；　the　sun　burned　his　back。　He　tried　rolling　over；　but　the　sun　was　too　bright。　Sleep　eluded　him；　and　he　found　himself　studying　the　baby。
　It　was　a　magnificent　animal。　It　had　a　long　neck　like　an　elephant's　trunk。　A　triangular　head　was　covered　with　slick　gray…green　skin；　and　it　had　large　black　eyes；　with　eyelids　that　blinked　occasionally；　clearing　away　the　salt　spray。
　Ron　was　staring　into　the　water　looking　for　the　legs　when　he　realized　the　baby　was　moving　toward　him。　It　swam　closer　and　fell　a　little　behind　the　mother　and　then　swung　its　head　to　look　at　Ron　square　on。　His　heart　started　to　pound；　but　not　from　fear；　from　excitement。　There　was　curiosity　in　those　huge　round　eyes；　maybe　even　intelligence。　Ron　slowly　raised　his　head　and　smiled　at　the　face；　almost　ready　to　talk　to　the　baby；　when　the　mother　turned　her　head　in　a　slow　pendulous　motion　and　made　a　bleating　sound。　The　baby　immediately　returned　to　its　position　in　the　mother's　peripheral　vision。　Ron　felt　sad　when　it　left。
　They　passed　out　water　in　the　early　afternoon；　each　taking　a　little。　It　couldn't　be　more　than　eighty　degrees；　yet　with　so　little　to　drink　it　seemed　like　a　hundred。　Ron　hoped　his　estimate　of　distance　was　correct　because　if　it　took　more　than　a　couple　of　days；　they　would　be　dead　of　thirst。
　As　Ron　took　his　turn　at　drinking　he　noticed　the　baby　had　dropped　back　again　and　was　watching　him。　The　baby's　face　was　nothing　but　taught　gray…green　skin；　but　Ron　imagined　he　saw　sadness　in　its　eyes。　Then　he　realized　the　baby　and　its　mother　had　been　churning　through　the　ocean　with　nothing　to　drink。　Was　it　as　thirsty　as　he　was？　he　wondered。　Surely　it　had　to　be。　Ron　and　his　family　had　been　riding　while　the　dinosaurs　worked；　and　they　were　very　thirsty。　Ron　knew　some　animals　could　go　long　periods　without　water　but　doubted　a　dinosaur　was　like　a　camel。
　Later　that　afternoon　Ron　was　awakened　from　a　light　doze　by　Rosa　talking　to　Chris；　saying　something　about　the　dinosaurs　eating。　Ron　sat　up　in　time　to　see　the　mother's　head　dip　down　into　the　ocean　and　up。　Her　back　rolled　gently　when　she　did。　A　few　seconds　later　the　baby's　head　dipped　into　the　ocean　and　came　up　with　seaweed　hanging　from　its　jaws。　The　baby　chewed　the　seaweed　slowly；　working　the　drooping　strands　into　its　mouth。　Ron　worried　about　the　salt　content。　He　suspected　they　would　last　longer　if　they　didn't　ingest　the　salt。　Still；　he　found　his　concern　about　the　dinosaurs　ironic。　They　were　all　hungry；　thirsty；　and　exhausted；　but　they　also　felt　secure　on　the　great　animal's　back。　In　a　few　short　hours　the　dinosaur　had　been　transformed　from　a　mere　vehicle　to　their　friend　and　savior。
　By　late　afternoon　they　began　to　talk　again；　their　fear　of　the　animals　forgotten。　They　named　the　big　apatosaurus　Patty　and　the　little　one；　Pat。　They　all　agreed　Patty　was　a　good　mother。　Somehow　she　had　managed　to　save　Pat　from　the　sinking　island　and　get　him　to　sea。　Ron　speculated　with　Carmen　and　the　kids　about　what　it　must　have　been　like　on　the　island。　There　had　been　a　noise　like　a　sonic　boom；　and　then　the　island　had　just　started　sinking…relatively　slowly；　fortunately；　because　anything　faster　would　have　created　a　much　bigger　wave。
　Patty　and　Pat　must　have　found　themselves　in　a　landscape　quickly　flooding　with　water。　The　trees　would　have　been　pushed　around　or　toppled　by　the　rising　sea。　The　animal　life　would　have　panicked；　fighting　for　higher　ground；　ground　that　would　bee　crowded　with　terrified　animals；　and　then；　in　turn；　flooded。　Big　animals　like　Patty　could　have　kept　their　heads　above　water　longer；　but　eventually　they　would　have　had　to　swim　for　their　lives　to　solid　ground　that　was　miles　away。　Patty　would　have　had　a　better　chance　of　saving　herself　without　Pat；　but　she　stayed　with　him；　like　a　good　mother　would。
　〃Dad；〃　Chris　asked。　〃Do　you　think　there　were　people　on　that　island？〃
　〃I　don't　think　so；〃　Ron　said　to　reassure　Chris；　but　there　was　no　way　to　know。　That　island　shouldn't　have　been　there　at　all。　It　just　appeared；　with　animals　like　nothing　Ron　had　ever　seen　on　PBS　or　a　National　Geographic　Special。　If　people　knew　about　that　island；　it　certainly　would　have　made　the　news。
　When　Ron　next　passed　water　to　the　family；　he　noticed　Carmen　only　wet　her　lips；　so　he　did　the　same。　When　Ron　had　the　water　bottle　back　in　its　net　bag　he　noticed　Rosa　staring　at　Pat。
　〃Hey；〃　Rosa　said。　〃I　think　Pat　is　having　trouble。〃
　Ron　watched　the　baby　for　a　while；　but　it　seemed　to　be　moving　steadily；　even　after　more　than　a　day　of　swimming。　Ron　shrugged　his　shoulders　at　Rosa。
　〃Listen　to　it；〃　Rosa　ordered。
　Ron　listened　and　realized　he　could　hear　its　labored　breathing。　It　was　in　trouble；　and　he　wished　there　was　something　they　could　do　to　help　it；　but　there　wasn't。　No　one　talked　after　that；　instead　they　spent　the　time　watching　Pat　and　listening　to　his　breathing　grow　deeper　and　more　ragged。　Patty　regularly　swung　her　head　around　to　look　at　Pat　with　one　eye。　At　first　that　unnerved　them；　but　Patty　paid　no　attention　to　them；　only　to　Pat。　Patty　also　slowed　her　pace；　but　it　didn't　seem　to　help。
　〃I　hope　you　make　it；　little　one；〃　Ron　whispered。　〃I　really　hope　you　make　it。〃
　
　45。　　CONTRIBUTION
　
　The　Bible；　and　other　authorities；　record　that　God　made　the　sun　stand　still　in　the　sky；　so　that　Joshua　could　defeat　his　enemies。　Astronomically　this　is　impossible。　It　is　no　more　difficult　to　believe　Joshua　and　his　men　were　somehow　sent　back　a　day　in　time。
　…William　Renfro；　Space；　Time；　and　History
　
　Honolulu；　Hawaii
　POSTQUILT：　TUESDAY；　11：07　P。M。　AHT
　
　　Assistant　Professor　Emmett　Puglisi　was　sitting　in　Professor　Wang's　executive　chair　brooding。　Since　he　and　Carrollee　encountered　the　plesiosaur；　he　hadn't　seen　the　botanist　again。　She　had　been　busy　organizing　people　to　protect　the　buried　plesiosaur　eggs　and　with　other　activities　she　wouldn't　tell　him　about。　Emmett　had　been　just　as　busy。　At　first　he　spent　his　time　answering　the　many　questions　about　the　plesiosaur　on　the　PresNet。　He'd　gotten　his　fifteen　minutes　of　fame；　but　then　other　reports　of　dinosaurs　began　to　appear　on　the　network。　Emmett　wanted　the　attention　back；　but　he　wasn't　a　biologist；　and　he　had　little　to　offer。　He　felt　like　a　bystander　once　more。
　Emmett　found　himself　both　frightened　by　and　drawn　to　the　network；　especially　to　models　proposed　to　explain　what　had　happened。　Hour　by　hour；　day　by　day；　he　sat　there；　downloading　the　plex　data　and　models；　spreading　them　across　Dr。　Wang's　desk　and　struggling　to　understand　them。　Slowly　the　equations　came　into　focus；　and　Emmett　began　to　see　how　the　models　evolved。　Still；　he　remained　a　spectator。　He　longed　to　play　in　the　big　leagues　but　could　see　nothing　original　to　add。　His　frustration　only　grew　as　other　scientists　proposed　new　models；　richer；　more　detailed；　or　unique　in　structure；　models　just　out　of　the　reach　of　his　prehension。
　Creativity　came　only　when　he　stopped　struggling　toward　it。
　Emmett　reconstructed　the　latest　variation　of　what　was　being　called　the　Gomez　model　using　the　equations　provided　on　the　PresNet。　He　was　looking　for　some　variation　that　hadn't　occurred　to　others；　working　diligently　until　he　realized　he　had　extended　the　niodel　too　far；　projecting　it　into　the　space/time　future。　He　was　about　to　quit　when　he　noticed　something　about　his　solutions。　The　time　displacement　varied　with　the　distance　from　the　mass。　Near　the　mass　of　the　earth　the　time　distortion　was　clearly　affected　in　a　proportional　way；　but；　at　least　mathematically；　the　temporal　displacement　decreased　with　distance　from　the　earth。
　It　was　at　that　point　Emmett　had　his　insight。　He　knew　the　effect　was　hypothesized　to　weaken　with　distance　from　the　source；　but　he　wondered　what　a　significant　mass　besides　the　earth　would　do　to　the　effect？　Specifically；　what　effect　would　the　moon　have　on　the　space/time　disruption？
　Although　only　a　sixth　of　the　earth；　he　calculated　that　the　moon　was　of　sufficient　mass　to　influence　the　time　distortions。　What　he　hadn't　anticipated　was　the　inversion　of　the　effect。　He　knew　his　model　was　speculative；　and　none　of　the　respected　names　was　theorizing　in　this　direction。　So　he　hesitated　at　sharing　them　on　PresNet。
　He　hadn't　originated　the　theory；　or　the　model　he　had　used。　He　merely　extended　it。　He　wasn't　sure　it　was　a　contribution　sufficient　enough　to　put　on　the　PresNet　with　his　name　on　it。　Besides；　the　problem　was　here　on　earth；　now；　what　happened　to　the　moon　paled　in　parison。
　In　the　end；　the　insignificance　of　his　speculation　overcame　his　fears　of　charges　of　plagiarism。　He　believed　those　on　the　network　would　pay　scant　attention　to　his　model；　so　he　sent　it。　Emmett　was　soon　shocked　to　find　that　not　only　someone　had　noticed　it；　but　someone　at　the　top。
　
　46。　　　OPER