jak.themothmanprophecies-第18部分

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wer。〃
　　
　　Connie　took　a　peek　and　reported　back；　〃It's　the　strangest…looking　man　I've　ever　seen。〃
　　
　　Mrs。　Christiansen　went　to　the　door；　unbolted　and　unlatched　it。　It　was　growing　dark　and　was　bitter　cold　outside。　There　was　no　car　in　view　and　this　seemed　peculiar　because　the　Christiansen　home　was　removed　from　other　houses　in　a　rather　isolated　spot。　A　tall　man　stood　on　the　doorstep。
　　
　　〃Does　Edward　Christiansen　live　here？〃　he　asked。　Arline　admitted　he　did。　〃I'm　from　the　Missing　Heirs　Bureau；〃　the　man　continued。　〃Mr。　Christiansen　may　have　inherited　a　great　deal　of　money。　May　I　e　in？〃
　　
　　It　was　an　approach　that　was　hard　to　resist。　She　stepped　back　and　invited　him　in；　calling　out　to　her　husband。
　　
　　Edward　Christiansen　is　six　feet　two　inches　tall　and　heavyset。　The　stranger　towered　over　him　and　must　have　been　at　least　six　feet　six　inches　tall。　He　was　also　enormously　broad　and　might　have　weighed　at　least　three　hundred　pounds。　He　wore　a　fur　Russian…style　hat　with　a　black　visor　on　it　and　a　very　long　black　coat　that　seemed　to　be　made　of　thin　material。。。　too　thin　for　the　cold　weather。
　　
　　〃This　will　only　take　forty　minutes；〃　he　said　as　he　removed　his　hat　and　revealed　an　unusual　head；　large　and　round　while　his　face　seemed　angular；　pointed。　He　had　black　hair　which　was　closely　cropped　to　his　head；　as　if　his　head　had　been　shaved　and　the　hair　was　just　growing　in　again。　There　was　a　perfectly　round　spot　on　the　back　of　his　head　as　if　that　area　had　recently　been　shaved。　His　nose　。　and　mouth　seemed　relatively　normal；　but　his　eyes　were　large；　protruding；　like　〃thyroid　eyes；〃　and　set　wide　apart。　One　eye　appeared　to　have　a　cast；　like　a　glass　eye；　and　did　not　move　in　unison　with　its　panion。
　　
　　Edward　Christiansen　told　him　at　the　outset　that　a　mistake　had　been　made；　that　he　could　not　believe　that　anyone　had　left　him　any　money。　The　man　assured　him　that　he　might；　indeed；　be　the　Edward　Christiansen　he　was　seeking　and；　in　order　to　verify　it；　he　would　like　to　ask　some　questions。　He　removed　his　coat。　There　was　a　badge　on　his　shirt　pocket　which　he　quickly　covered　with　his　hand　and　removed；　placing　it　in　his　coat　pocket。
　　
　　〃It　looked　like　a　gold　or　brass　badge；〃　Connie　told　me　later。　〃But　it　wasn't　an　ordinary　police　badge　or　anything　like　that。　We　just　got　a　glimpse　of　it　。。。　but　it　seemed　to　have　a　big　K　on　it　with　a　small　x　alongside　and　there　were　some　letters　or　numbers　around　the　edge。　It　was　obvious　he　didn't　want　us　to　see　it。〃
　　
　　He　was　not　wearing　a　suit　jacket。　Underneath　Ms　thin　outer　coat　he　was　wearing　a　short…sleeved　shirt　made　of　a　Dacron…like　material。　His　trousers　were　of　a　dark　material；　gray　or　black；　and　were　a　little　too　short。　When　he　sat　down　they　rode　high　up　his　calves。　He　wore　dark　socks　and　dark　shoes　with　unusually　thick　rubber　soles。
　　
　　Arline　and　Connie　were　most　fascinated　by　a　strange　feature　on　his　leg。　When　he　sat　down　they　could　see　a　long　thick　green　wire　attached　to　the　inside　of　his　leg。　It　came　up　out　of　his　socks　and　disappeared　under　his　trousers。　At　one　point　it　seemed　to　be　indented　into　his　leg　and　was　covered　by　a　large　brown　spot。　Connie　seemed　to　have　studied　him　the　most　carefully　and　gave　the　best　description。
　　
　　In　many　ways；　this　odd　man　shared　the　characteristics　of　Mary　Hyre's　tiny　visitor　of　only　a　few　days　earlier。　Mrs。　Hyre　said　the　little　man　had　unusually　pale　skin；　almost　a　sickly　white。　The　Christiansens　said　their　visitor　had　an　unnatural　pallor。　They　assumed　he　was　sick。　His　speech　was　also　strange；　with　a　high　〃tinny〃　voice　that　seemed　especially　peculiar　ing　from　such　a　large　man。　He　spoke　in　a　dull；　emotionless　monotone　in　clipped　words　and　phrases；　〃like　a　puter。〃　Connie　said　that　he　sounded　as　if　he　were　reciting　everything　from　memory。　Mrs。　Hyre　told　me　her　tiny　visitor　had　spoken　in　a　hard…to…understand　singsong　manner；　〃like　a　recording。〃　Both　men　wore　unusually　thick　rubber…soled　shoes。　Both　were　ill…dressed　for　the　weather；　and　both　had　eccentric　haircuts。　Small　points；　perhaps；　but　significant　in　these　cases。
　　
　　After　the　man　had　introduced　himself　（none　of　the　family　could　remember　his　name；　they　all　said　it　was　something　mon　like　Brown　or　Smith；　but　they　did　remember　that　he　said　his　friends　called　him　〃Tiny〃）；　the　family　dog；　Gigi；　snarled　and　barked　at　him。　He　spoke　to　the　dog　and　calmed　it。
　　
　　When　Tiny　had　seated　himself；　Mrs。　Christiansen　told　him　they　were　about　to　eat　and　asked　him　if　he　wanted　to　join　them。　He　replied　that　he　was　on　a　diet　but　that　he　would　like　a　glass　of　water　in　about　ten　minutes。　He　seemed　to　wheeze；　they　all　noted；　like　a　man　with　asthma；　and　he　appeared　to　have　difficulty　breathing。
　　
　　Tiny　produced　a　small　notebook　and　a　pen　and　assured　the　family　that　this　was　not　any　kind　of　confidence　game。　He　was　looking　for　an　Edward　Christiansen　who　was　due　to　inherit　a　large　sum　of　money　and　he　would　need　information　about　Ed's　past　history　to　determine　if　he　was　the　man。　He　then　proceeded　to　ask　a　long　series　of　questions。　Did　Ed　have　any　scars　or　birthmarks？　Ed　said　he　had　a　scar　on　his　back　from　an　operation　and　an　appendix　scar。　Tiny　asked　for　every　detail…the　length；　width；　and　exact　position　of　those　scars。　He　also　asked　for　a　plete　list　of　all　the　schools　Ed　had　attended；　and　the　number　and　type　of　auto　vehicles　the　family　owned。　At　one　point　he　asked　the　couple　if　they　would　be　willing　to　fly　to　any　place　in　the　United　States　to　collect　the　inheritance；　explaining　they　would　have　to　be　present　when　the　will　was　read。　Ed　and　Arline　agreed　they　could　make　themselves　available　for　such　a　trip。
　　
　　According　to　Connie；　Tiny's　face　gradually　grew　redder　and　redder　as　he　talked　and　after　a　few　minutes　he　turned　to　her　and　asked：　〃May　I　have　that　glass　of　water　now？〃　She　fetched　the　water　for　him　and　he　took　out　a　large　yellow　capsule　which　he　gulped　down。　He　returned　to　normal　after　taking　it。
　　
　　Tiny　mentioned　three　specific　names　and　asked　Ed　if　he　recognized　any　of　them。　He　did　not　and　later　he　was　able　to　remember　only　one　of　them…Roy　Stevens。　Connie　said　she　thought　another　of　the　names　was　Taylor；　but　she　wasn't　sure。　At　this　time　Ed　did　not　know　about　Gwendoline　Martino's　〃Gwen　Stevens〃　wrong　numbers　in　December；　nor　had　Gwen　heard　about　Tiny　and　the　three　names　until　I　interviewed　the　family　in　late　February　1967。
　　
　　We　had　started　out　by　discussing　their　UFO　sighting　in　November；　then　I　began　to　ask　my　routine　far…out　questions。　When　I　asked　them　if　they　had　received　any　unusual　visitors　after　their　sighting；　they　looked　at　each　other　with　the　shock　of　recognition。　I　separated　them　and　interviewed　each　member　of　the　family　individually。　All　of　their　statements　coincided　exactly。　Since　five　witnesses　were　involved；　Mr。　and　Mrs。　Christiansen　and　their　three　children；　all　of　above…average　intelligence　and　very　observant；　I　regarded　this　as　an　outstanding　MIB…type　＇Men　in　Black＇　report。　I　did　not　publish　it　until　two　years　later；　withholding　the　details　to　preclude　possible　hoaxes。
　　
　　Tiny　concluded　his　interview　less　than　an　hour　after　he　arrived。　It　was　probably　precisely　forty　minutes；　just　as　he　promised。　He　donned　his　hat　and　coat　and　told　Ed　he　would　be　notified　by　mail　within　ten　days。
　　
　　Arline　was　in　the　kitchen　when　he　left　and　she　decided　she　was　going　to　watch　him　and　see　where　he　went。　She　stepped　out　of　the　kitchen　door　and　stood　in　the　dark　watching　the　big　man　as　he　walked　toward　the　road。　〃His　shoes　squished　loudly　as　he　walked；〃　she　noted。　When　he　reached　the　road；　he　made　a　gesture　with　his　hand　and　a　black　1963　Cadillac　drove　through　the　trees　and　pulled　up。　It　was　driving　in　the　pitch…dark　with　its　headlights　out　so　she　couldn't　see　the　driver。　Tiny　climbed　into　the　car　and　it　drove　away；　its　headlights　still　out。　…
　　
　　The　next　morning　Ed　was　alone　in　the　house　when　the　phone　rang。　A　female　voice　explained　she　was　calling　about　the　missing…heir　interview。　〃We've　located　the　Edward　Christiansen　we　were　looking　for　in　California；〃　she　explained。　Ed　said　he　had　felt　sure　he　wasn't　the　right　one；　thanked　her；　and　hung　up。　When　he　told　his　family　about　the　call；　they　all　dismissed　the　incident　from　their　minds　until　my　interview　with　them。
　　
　　The　wire　running　up　the　leg　is　one　feature　I　have　been　unable　to　fit　into　my　research　in　other　MIB　cases。　It　has　never　been　repeated。　Was　Tiny　wearing　electric　socks？　Or　was　he　a　wired　android　operated　by　remote　control？
　　
　　As　for　his　badge；　I　suspect　that　the　K　was　really　the　Greek　letter　sigma　＇E＇；　which　has　turned　up　repeatedly　in　other　UFO　cases；　and　is　often　used　by　scientists　to　express　the　strange　or　unknown。
　　
　　III
　　
　　Two　days　after　Tiny；　the　pop…eyed　missing…heirs　investigator；　invaded　Cape　May；　Mothman；　the　pop…eyed　pterodactyl；　visited　Tiny's　restaurant　in　Point　Pleasant。　At　5　P。M。　on　January　11；　1967；　Mrs。　Mabel　McDaniel　was　walking　near　the　drive…in　restaurant　when　she　saw　an　object　soaring　down　Route　62。
　　
　　〃I　thought　it　was　an　airplane；　then　I　realized　it　was　flying　much　too　low；〃　she　said。　She　had　been　living　with　Mothman　witnesses　for　two　months　but　never　expected　to　see　the　critter　herself。　Nor　did　she　wa