jak.themothmanprophecies-第4部分

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d　fallen　from　his　glasses　and　the　frames　were　melted。　His　wife　took　over　the　wheel　of　their　vehicle　and　drove　him　to　a　hospital。　Fortunately；　the　damage　was　not　permanent。
　　
　　What　puzzled　me　about　Connie's　case；　however；　was　that　she　had　not　seen　a　splendid　luminous　flying　saucer。　She　had　seen　a　giant　〃winged　man〃　in　broad　daylight。
　　
　　According　to　her　story；　Connie；　a　shy；　sensitive　eighteen…year…old；　was　driving　home　from　church　at　10：30　A。M。　on　Sunday；　November　27；　1966；　when；　as　she　passed　the　deserted　greens　of　the　Mason　County　Golf　Course　outside　of　New　Haven；　West　Virginia；　she　suddenly　saw　a　huge　gray　figure。　It　was　shaped　like　a　man；　she　said；　but　was　much　larger。　It　was　at　least　seven　feet　tall　and　very　broad。　The　thing　that　attracted　her　attention　was　not　its　size　but　its　eyes。　It　had；　she　said；　large；　round；　fiercely　glowing　red　eyes　that　focused　on　her　with　hypnotic　effect
　　
　　〃It's　a　wonder　I　didn't　run　off　the　road　and　have　a　wreck；〃　she　mented　later。
　　
　　As　she　slowed；　her　eyes　fixed　on　the　apparition；　a　pair　of　wings　unfolded　from　its　back。　They　seemed　to　have　a　span　of　about　ten　feet。　It　was　definitely　not　an　ordinary　bird　but　a　man…shaped　thing　which　rose　slowly　off　the　ground；　straight　up　like　a　helicopter；　silently。　Its　wings　did　not　flap　in　flight。　It　headed　straight　toward　Connie's　car；　its　horrible　eyes　fixed　to　her　face；　then　it　swooped　low　over　her　head　as　she　shoved　the　accelerator　to　the　floorboards　in　utter　hysteria。
　　
　　Over　one　hundred　people　would　see　this　bizarre　creature　that　whiter。
　　
　　Connie's　conjunctivitis　lasted　over　two　weeks；　apparently　caused　by　those　glowing　red　eyes。　At　the　tune　of　my　first　visit　to　Point　Pleasant　in　1966　I　did　not　relate　the　winged　weirdo　to　flying　saucers。　Later　events　not　only　proved　that　a　relationship　existed；　but　that　relationship　also　is　a　vital　clue　to　the　whole　mystery。
　　
　　V。
　　
　　Max's　Kansas　City　is　a　famous　watering　hole　for　New　York's　hip　crowd。　In　the　summer　of　1967　an　oddball　character　wandered　into　that　restaurant　noted　for　its　oddball　clientele。　He　was　tall　and　awkward；　dressed　in　an　ill…fitting　black　suit　that　seemed　out　of　style。　His　chin　came　to　a　sharp　point　and　his　eyes　bulged　slightly　like　〃thyroid　eyes。〃　He　sat　down　in　a　booth　and　gestured　to　the　waitress　with　his　long；　tapering　fingers。
　　
　　〃Something　to　eat；〃　he　mumbled。　The　waitress　handed　him　a　menu。　He　stared　at　it　unprehendingly；　apparently　unable　to　read。　〃Food；〃　he　said　almost　pleadingly。
　　
　　〃How　about　a　steak？〃　she　offered。
　　
　　〃Good。〃
　　
　　She　brought　him　a　steak　with　all　the　trimmings。　He　stared　at　it　for　a　long　moment　and　then　picked　up　his　knife　and　fork；　glancing　around　at　the　other　diners。　It　was　obvious　he　did　not　know　how　to　handle　the　implements！　The　waitress　watched　him　as　he　fumbled　helplessly。　Finally　she　showed　him　how　to　cut　the　steak　and　spear　it　with　the　fork。　He　sawed　away　at　the　meat。　Clearly　he　really　was　hungry。
　　
　　〃Where　are　you　from？〃　she　asked　gently。
　　
　　〃Not　from　here。〃
　　
　　〃Where？〃
　　
　　〃Another　world。〃
　　
　　Boy；　another　put…on　artist；　she　thought　to　herself。　The　other　waitresses　gathered　in　a　corner　and　watched　him　as　he　fumbled　with　his　food；　a　stranger　in　a　strange　land。
　　
　　VI。
　　
　　A　large　white　car　with　a　faulty　muffler　wheezed　and　rattled　up　the　back　street　in　New　Haven；　West　Virginia；　where　Connie　Carpenter　lived；　and　Jack　Brown　knocked　at　her　door。
　　
　　〃I'm　a…a　friend　of　Mary　Hyre's。〃
　　
　　His　strange　demeanor　and　disjointed　questions　distressed　her　and　disturbed　her　husband；　Keith；　and　her　brother　Larry。　It　quickly　became　obvious　that　he　was　not　particularly　interested　in　Connie's　sighting　of　the　man…bird　the　year　before。　He　seemed　mainly　concerned　with　Mrs。　Hyre　and　my　own　relationship　with　her　（we　were　professional　friends；　nothing　more）。
　　
　　〃What　do　you　think…if…what　would　Mary　Hyre　do…　if　someone　told　her　to　stop　writing　about　UFOs？〃　he　asked。
　　
　　〃She'd　probably　tell　them　to　drop　dead；〃　Connie　replied。
　　
　　Most　of　his　questions　were　stupid；　even　unintelligible。　After　a　rambling　conversation　he　drove　off　into　the　night　in　his　noisy　car。　Connie　called　her　aunt　immediately；　puzzled　and　upset　by　the　visit。　He　was　such　a　very　odd　man；　she　noted；　and　he　wouldn't　speak　at　all　if　you　weren't　looking　directly　into　his　dark；　hypnotic　eyes。　Connie；　Keith　and　Larry　not　only　noticed　his　long…fingered　hands；　but　there　was　also　something　very　peculiar　about　his　ears。　They　couldn't　say　exactly　what。　But　there　was　something　。。。。
　　
　　VII。
　　
　　〃Did　you　ever　hear　of　anyone…especially　an　air　force　officer…trying　to　drink　Jell…O？〃　Mrs。　Ralph　Butler　of　Owatonna；　Minnesota；　asked。　〃Well；　that's　what　he　did。　He　acted　like　he　had　never　seen　any　before。　He　picked　up　the　bowl　and　tried　to　drink　it。　I　had　to　show　him　how　to　eat　it　with　a　spoon。〃
　　
　　Mrs。　Butler　was　describing　the　man　who　had　visited　her　in　May　1967；　following　a　flurry　of　UFO　sightings　in　Owatonna。　He　said　he　was　Major　Richard　French　of　the　U。S。　Air　Force　although　he　was　dressed　in　civilian　clothes　and　was　driving　a　white　Mustang。　His　neat　gray　suit　and　everything　else　he　was　wearing　appeared　to　be　brand…new。　Even　the　soles　of　his　shoes　were　unscuffed；　unwalked　upon。　He　was　about　five　feet　nine　inches　tall；　with　an　olive　plexion　and　a　pointed　face。　His　hair　was　dark　and　very　long…too　long　for　an　air　force　officer；　Mrs。　Butler　thought。　Unlike　Jack　Brown；　Major　French　was　a　fluent　conversationalist　and　seemed　perfectly　normal　until　he　plained　about　his　stomach　bothering　him。　When　Mrs。　Butler　offered　him　the　Jell…O　she　suspected　for　the　first　time　that　something　was　out　of　kilter。
　　
　　Richard　French　was　an　imposter。　One　of　the　many　wandering　around　the　United　States　in　1967。　For　years　these　characters　had　caused　acute　paranoia　among　the　flying　saucer　enthusiasts；　convincing　them　that　the　air　force　was　investigating　them；　silencing　witnesses　and　indulging　in　all　kinds　of　unsavory　activities…including　murder。　When　I　first　began　collecting　such　reports　I　was　naturally　suspicious　of　the　people　making　such　reports。　It　all　seemed　like　a　massive　put…on。　But　gradually　it　became　apparent　that　the　same　minute　details　were　turning　up　in　widely　separated　cases；　and　none　of　these　details　had　been　published　anywhere　。。。　not　even　in　the　little　newsletters　of　the　UFO　cultists。
　　
　　There　was　somebody　out　there；　all　right。　A　few；　like　Richard　French；　almost　pulled　off　their　capers　without　drawing　attention　to　themselves。　But　in　nearly　every　case　there　was　always　some　small　error；　some　slip　of　dress　or　behavior　which　the　witnesses　were　usually　willing　to　overlook　but　which　stood　out　like　signal　flares　to　me。　They　often　arrived　in　old　model　cars　which　were　as　shiny　and　well　kept　as　brand…new　vehicles。　Sometimes　they　slipped　up　in　their　dress；　wearing　clothes　that　were　out　of　fashion　or；　even　more　perturbing；　would　not　e　into　fashion　until　years　later。　'Those　who　posed　as　military　officers　obviously　had　no　knowledge　of　military　procedure　or　basic　military　jargon。　If　they　had　occasion　to　pull　out　a　wallet　or　notebook；　it　would　be　brand…new　。。。　although　most　men　carry　beat…up　old　wallets　and　notebooks　quickly　gain　a　worn　look。　Finally；　like　the　fairies　of　old；　they　often　collected　souvenirs　from　the　witnesses　。。。　delightedly　walking　away　with　an　old　magazine；　pen；　or　other　small　expendable　object。
　　
　　What　troubled　me　most　was　the　fact　that　these　mystery　men　and　women　often　matched　the　descriptions　given　to　me　by　contactees　who　claimed　to　have　seen　a　UFO　land　and　had　glimpsed；　or　conversed　with；　their　pilots；　pilots　with　either　pointed　features　or　Oriental　countenances　dusky　skin　（not　Negroid）；　and　unusually　long　fingers。
　　
　　VIII。
　　
　　Linda　Scarberry　came　home　from　the　hospital　on　December　23；　1967；　bringing　with　her　Daniella　Lia　Scarberry；　her　brand…new　daughter。　She　and　her　husband；　Roger；　lived　in　the　basement　apartment　in　the　home　of　her　parents；　Mr。　and　Mrs。　Parke　McDaniel。　It　was　a　modest　but　fortable　home　and；　like　Mary　Hyre's　office；　had　been　a　focal　point　for　strangers　ever　since　Linda；　Roger；　and　another　couple　had　seen　the　〃Bird〃…the　preposterous　winged　man　of　Point　Pleasant…the　year　before。
　　
　　Now　there　was　a　steady　flow　of　friends　and　neighbors　stopping　by　to　look　at　the　new　baby；　one　of　the　few　joyous　occasions　that　bleak　December。　When　Jack　Brown's　noisy　white　car　pulled　into　the　McDaniel　driveway　he　was　weled　as　so　many　reporters；　monster　hunters；　and　UFO　researchers　had　been　before　him。　He　'announced　himself　as　a　friend　of　Mary　Hyre；　Gray　Barker；　and　John　Keel　and　entered　the　house　hauling　a　large　tape　recorder　which　he　set　up　on　a　kitchen　table。　It　became　immediately　obvious　that　he　was　unfamiliar　with　the　machine　and　didn't　know　how　to　thread　or　operate　it。
　　
　　The　McDaniel　family　was　used　to　reporters　and　tape　recorders；　and　answering　the　same　tiresome　questions。　But　Brown's　questions　were　not　just　tiresome。　They　were　vague；　detached；　and　unintelligent。　He　obviously　knew　nothing　whatsoever　about　the　plex　subject　of　flying　saucers；　and　he　was　totally　disinterested　in　the　legendary　〃Bird。〃