jak.themothmanprophecies-第23章

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　organs　that…you　know…we'd　normally　throw　away。〃
　　
　　Had　she　ever　caught　the　culprits　in　the　act？
　　
　　〃Several　times；〃　she　said。　〃I'd　see　them　out　in　the　field　and　go　after　them　with　a　shotgun。　But　they　always　got　away。　They're　tall　men　and　they　wear　white　coveralls　。。。　which　is　kind　of　stupid　because　they　really　stand　out　in　the　dark。　And　they　can　certainly　run　and　jump。　I've　seen　them　leap　over　high　fences　from　a　standing　start。〃
　　
　　Her　home　burned　to　the　ground　during　that　period　and　she　built　a　new　one…story　ranch　house　on　the　same　site。　One　night　when　she　was　alone　in　the　new　house；　she　said；　she　woke　up　and　found　herself　unable　to　move。　She　felt　a　wave　of　almost　overpowering　heat　as　she　heard　the　kitchen　door　open。　She　had　double…locked　it　before　going　to　bed。　While　she　lay　there　helplessly；　she　said　she　saw　a　tall　figure　walk　through　the　kitchen　and　apparently　go　out　another　locked　door　on　the　other　side。　After　it　left；　she　was　able　to　move。
　　
　　Other　strange　sounds　pervaded　the　house；　she　claimed。　She　and　her　children　often　heard　heavy　footsteps　on　the　roof　and　loud　metallic　clangs。
　　
　　After　interviewing　her；　I　drove　out　alone　to　her　house　to　talk　to　her　children。　The　Bryant　farm　was　quite　isolated　on　a　hilly　back　road。　The　house　stood　on　a　knoll　overlooking　the　surrounding　fields。　Her　teen…aged　son　was　a　down…to…earth　boy；　used　to　the　responsibilities　of　being　the　man　in　the　family。　He　confirmed　his　mother's　stories　about　the　rustlers　and　added　some　interesting　details。　He　pointed　out　some　nearby　trees。　One　night；　he　said；　as　he　and　his　mother　were　walking　up　the　road　they　saw　a　large　glowing　object　hovering　directly　above　the　trees。　〃She　was　scared　real　bad；〃　he　noted。　Their　telephone　often　went　dead　for　no　reason。　Other　times　they　got　calls　that　just　consisted　of　strange　beeping　sounds　and　〃electronic　music。〃　He　also　mentioned　the　big　gray　〃flying　boxcars〃　that　often　flew　over　the　area　at　treetop　level。　〃It's　a　wonder　they　don't　crash；〃　he　said。　〃If　they　flew　any　lower　they'd　have　to　put　their　wheels　down。〃
　　
　　When　I　examined　the　kitchen　of　the　little　house　I　found　that　the　locked　door　through　which　the　nocturnal　phantom　had　supposedly　exited　led　to　nowhere。　There　were　no　steps　outside；　just　a　very　steep　drop　of　about　ten　feet　to　the　ground。
　　
　　Later　I　checked　with　the　local　police　about　rumors　of　disappearing　dogs　and　cattle　in　the　area；　and　I　brought　up　Mrs。　Bryant's　name。　〃That　poor　woman；〃　I　was　told。　〃She's　always　seeing　things。　Just　a　couple　of　months　back　she　came　in　here　with　some　story　about　spacemen　walking　around　Gallipolis。　Before　that　it　was　cattle　rustlers。〃
　　
　　So　Mrs。　Bryant　still　sits　on　her　farm；　watching　the　strange　lights　in　her　fields；　and　when　her　phone　rings　she　waits　a　long　time　before　she　picks　it　up。　
　　　
　　
　　11　…　If　This　Is　Wednesday；　It　Must　Be　a　Venusian
　　
　　
　　1。
　　
　　James　Lilly　stood　on　his　lawn　surrounded　by　reporters　from　Charleston　and　Huntington　newspapers；　Sheriff　George　Johnson　and　his　wife；　and　a　host　of　others。　Hundreds　of　automobiles　lined　the　Camp　Conley　Road；　dark　and　silent　except　for　the　glows　of　cigarettes。　Other　cars　cruised　in　slow　streams　along　the　rutted　roads　of　the　TNT　area　to　the　north。
　　
　　〃It's　just　about　that　time；〃　Jim　Lilly　announced；　glancing　at　his　watch。　It　was　exactly　8：30　P。M。　〃They　e　over　every　night　right　about　now。〃
　　
　　Horns　suddenly　began　to　bleat　and　excited　shouts　echoed　through　the　trees。
　　
　　〃Right　on　time；〃　Lilly　chuckled。　〃You　can　set　your　watch　by　〃em；〃
　　
　　〃My　God！　What　is　it？〃　A　reporter　and　novice　UFO…watcher　cried　out　as　a　brilliant　white　light　slowly　glided　into　view。　It　arched　gracefully　overhead　about　one　hundred　feet　above　the　trees。　Car　doors　slammed　up　and　down　the　road　as　families　scrambled　out　of　their　vehicles　to　watch。　Newsmen　floundered　with　their　expensive　cameras。
　　
　　〃What　in　hell　is　the　matter　with　this？　The　shutter　didn't　trip！〃
　　
　　The　light　passed　slowly　toward　Point　Pleasant；　the　ground　below　lighting　up　in　its　glow　as　it　passed；
　　
　　〃Where's　that　guy　Keel？〃　someone　asked。
　　
　　〃He's　probably　up　there　riding　in　that　damned　thing；〃　someone　else　answered。
　　
　　A　light　plane　suddenly　circled　over　the　TNT　area；　all　its　lights　ablaze。
　　
　　〃Here　es　Doc　Shaw　again；〃　Jim　Lilly　laughed。　〃Who　does　he　think　he's　fooling？〃
　　
　　But　voices　were　crying　out　in　the　dark；　〃There　goes　another　one！〃
　　
　　The　plane　cut　its　engine　for　a　moment　and　glided。
　　
　　George　Johnson　turned　to　his　wife。　〃Well；　you　wanted　to　see　a　UFO。〃
　　
　　〃It　was　like　seeing　a　ghost；〃　she　shuddered。
　　
　　The　air　was　filled　with　the　sounds　of　auto　engines　grinding　away　impotently　and　drivers　snarling　and　cursing　because　their　cars　wouldn't　start。
　　
　　The　light　traveled　on　to　the　ravine　that　passed　behind　North　Park　Road；　then　it　dipped　down　and　moved　low　along　the　bottom　of　the　ravine。　Betty　Kelly；　thirteen；　looked　out　the　kitchen　window　of　the　Kelly　house　and　screamed。
　　
　　〃Ma　。。。　it's　back！〃
　　
　　The　glowing　thing　was　appearing　nightly　behind　the　Kelly　home。　It　seemed　to　settle　in　their　backyard　at　times　and　the　glow　faded　slightly　so　they　could　see　a　definite　object。　They　even　thought　they　saw　a　triangular　doorway　in　it　and　what　appeared　to　be　frosted　glass　windows。　Their　neighbors　had　all　been　watching；　too；　but　had　wisely　avoided　publicity。　They　didn't　want　their　street　to　bee　another　Camp　Conley　Road　or　TNT　area。
　　
　　When　Betty　cried　out；　Bill　Kelly；　her　father；　grumbled　in　the　living　room。　He　was　an　electronics　engineer　and　he　had　just　taken　the　back　off　the　family's　brand…new　color　TV　set。　The　set　had　blown　out　the　night　before　when　the　object　had　paid　a　visit。　〃Somebody　should　do　something　about　these　things；〃　he　plained。
　　
　　The　object　began　to　glow　more　intensely　and　then　it　vanished。
　　
　　〃Where　did　it　go？〃　Mrs。　Kelly　asked　her　daughter。
　　
　　〃I　don't　know…it…it　just　went。〃　She　started　to　cry。　She　would　be　so　nervous　and　upset　that　she　wouldn't　go　to　school　the　next　day。
　　
　　The　phone　rang。　Bill　Kelly　looked　at　it　as　if　it　were　a　snake。　He　picked　it　up　slowly；　listened　and　scowled；　then　replaced　the　receiver。　His　wife　glanced　at　him　expectantly。
　　
　　〃Another　one　of　those　calls　。。。　beep；　beep；　beep；〃　he　nodded。
　　
　　On　top　of　a　hill　east　of　Point　Pleasant　Mary　Hyre　and　I　stood　by　our　cars　looking　down　at　the　village。
　　
　　〃Where　did　it　go；　John？〃
　　
　　I　was　straining　my　eyesight　through　a　cheap　telescope。
　　
　　〃I　think　it　went　down　that　ravine　by　North　Park。　But　I　can't　see　it　now。〃
　　
　　〃At　least　it　was　right　on　schedule。〃
　　
　　Flickering　red　and　green　lights　suddenly　appeared。
　　
　　〃A　plane；〃　I　noted。
　　
　　〃Probably　Doctor　Shaw。　He　told　me　he's　been　spooking　the　people　at　the　TNT　area。〃
　　
　　〃It's　hard　to　mistake　an　airplane　for　one　of　those　UFO　lights。〃
　　
　　〃Look！〃　she　called　out　sharply。　〃Something　is　following　that　plane。〃
　　
　　A　few　hundred　feet　behind　the　plane　I　could　see　a　large　black　object；　almost　as　big　as　the　plane　itself　but　pletely　without　lights。
　　
　　〃Mothman！　Is　it　Mothman？〃
　　
　　I　fumbled　with　my　telescope。　It's　very　difficult　to　zero　in　on　an　object　in　the　night　sky　with　a　handheld　telescope。　I　couldn't　even　locate　the　plane。
　　
　　The　plane　crossed　the　river　and　headed　for　the　Gallipolis　airport。　The　thing　following　him　was　quickly　lost　in　the　black　sky。
　　
　　We　returned　to　Mary's　office　and　found　all　the　phones　ringing。　People　were　seeing　flying　objects　all　up　and　down　the　valley。　Some　had　probably　just　seen　the　good　doctor's　nocturnal　sortie；　but　others　described　what　sounded　like　genuine　UFOs。
　　
　　That　was　April　5；　1967；　a　Wednesday。　I　had　collected　and　analyzed　some　seven　hundred　UFO　reports　from　1966　and　discovered　that　the　greatest　number　of　sightings；　20　percent；　took　place　on　Wednesdays。　I　called　this　〃the　Wednesday　phenomenon。〃　The　events　of　1967　conformed　to　this　curious　pattern；　as　have　the　sightings　of　later　flaps。　The　major　events　of　October　1973　were　concentrated　around　Wednesdays；　particularly　Wednesday；　October　17。
　　
　　So　here　was　another　curious　contradiction。　The　entities　professed　to　be　ignorant　of　our　time　frame；　yet　the　objects　managed　to　fly　to　a　rigid　schedule　that　could　be　measured　by　our　clocks　and　calendars。
　　
　　When　I　interviewed　attorney　Robert　Wright　in　Sistersville；　West　Virginia；　he　told　me　the　things　have　turned　up　every　Wednesday　throughout　the　summer　of　1966；　〃like　clockwork。〃
　　
　　No　one　except　the　U。S。　Air　Force　had　attempted　even　a　superficial　statistical　analysis　of　UFO　sightings　before；　so　my　findings　were　greeted　with　howls　of　derision　by　the　scientists　who　posed　as　experts　on　the　phenomenon。　Then　Dr。　David　Saunders　of　Colorado　University　fed　several　thousand　sightings　into　a　puter　and　found　the　Wednesday　phenomenon　remained　stable。　That　day　produced　the　largest　number　of　sightings；　well　beyond　the　laws　of　chance　and　averages。
　　
　　In　March　1967；　Ralph　Jarrett　talked　me　into　violating　my　〃low…profile〃　policy　and　I　appeared　with　him　on　the　Jackie　Oberlinger　show　on　WCHS…TV　in　Charleston。　In　the　course　of　our　discussion　I　mentioned　that　the　best　time　to　see　a　UFO　was　10　P。M。　on　a　Wednesday。　Mrs。　Oberlinger；　a　vivacious　blond　lady　and　very　much　a　local　celebrity；　took　me　at　my　word。　On　Wednesday；　March　29；　she　and　a　group　of　her　friends　gathered　in　her　backyard　in　Charleston　and；　sure　enough；　at　exactly　10　P。M。　three　globes　of　brilliant　white　light　passed　directly　overhead　in　a　V…formation。
　　
　　The　Wednesday　phenomenon　works。　I've　been　studying　it　for　years　and　I　still　can't　say　why　it　works。　Researchers　in　other　parts　of　the　world　have　now　followed　my　example　and　found　similar　time　patterns　in　the　sightings　of　their　own　countries。　The　table　below　is　a　breakdown　of　sightings　recorded　in　1950；　as　analyzed　by　Saunders；　United　States；　Ballester…Orlando；　Spain；　Bonabot；　Belgium。
　　
　　II
　　
　　Soon　after　arriving　in　Point　Pleasant　and　getting　a　handle　on　the　scope　of　the　situation；　I　phoned　the　Lockburn　Air　Force　Base　in　Ohio　and　outlined　what　was　happening　to　a　Lieutenant　Hoffman；　the　base　UFO　officer。　He　was　very　polite；　but　he　was　also　disinterested　and　it　was　clear　the　air　force　was　not　going　to　launch　any　kind　of　investigation。
　　
　　Perhaps　an　investigation　was　already　underway。　As　I　wandered　around　Main　Street　in　early　April　I　noticed　a　surprising　number　of　strangers　who　just　didn't　seem　to　fit　in。　They　had　the　indelible　look　of　federal　officers　。。。　conservative　ties；　square　clothes；　recent　haircuts。　There　must　have　been　fifteen　or　twenty　of　them。　I　saw　them　in　the　local　restaurants　and　drugstores；　everywhere。
　　
　　〃Is　there　a　convention　in　town？〃　I　asked　Mary　Hyre。
　　
　　〃So　you　noticed　them；　too？〃　She　smiled。　〃Everybody's　been　asking　me　about　them。　But　so　far　I　haven't　found　out　a　thing。〃
　　
　　I　decided　to　trap　one　of　them　into　a　conversation；　but　they　all　vanished　before　I　could　do　so。
　　
　　One　night　Roger　Scarberry；　Steve　Mallette；　and　myself　were　driving　around　the　TNT　area　when　we　came　upon　a　large　black