jak.themothmanprophecies-第50部分

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　could　connect　such　a　tap。　And；　as　I　learned　later；　the　New　York　Telephone　pany　was　very　uncooperative；　even　the　FBI　was　refused　access。　Police　tappers　usually　had　to　figure　out　a　way　to　do　it　themselves　without　the　help　of　the　phone　pany。
　　
　　I　must　admit　I　was　impressed　by　the　tour。　It　seemed　impossible　for　anyone　to　tap　my　phone。
　　
　　Three　months　later；　however；　I　accidentally　discovered　what　was　probably　the　answer　to　many　of　my　problems。　A　friend　dialed　my　number　and　her　finger　slipped。　Instead　of　dialing　the　last　two　digits…four　eight…correctly；　she　dialed　four　zero。　She　realized　instantly　what　she　had　done　and　was　about　to　hang　up　and　redial　when　I　answered　the　phone！　She　told　me　what　she　had　done　and　I　suggested　we　hang　up　and　try　four　zero　again。　Again　my　phone　rang。　I　had　two　phone　numbers　and　never　knew　it！　I　asked　other　friends　to　try　the　four　zero　number。　Sometimes　my　phone　would　ring　and　I　would　answer。　Other　times　my　phone　would　remain　silent　but　someone　else　would　answer　and　would　offer　to　〃take　a　message　for　Mr。　Keel。〃　I　called　the　four　zero　number　from　a　pay　phone　and　someone　picked　it　up。
　　
　　〃Hi；　this　is　John　Keel；〃　I　said　cheerily。　〃Any　messages　for　me？〃
　　
　　There　was　an　audible　gasp　on　the　other　end　and　they　slammed　the　receiver　down。
　　
　　Obviously　I　was　getting　four　zero's　phone　bills。　I　asked　my　friendly　telephone　representative　to　track　down　the　owner　of　that　other　phone。　But；　of　course；　she　could　not　〃give　out　that　information。〃
　　
　　So　I　went　to　the　FBI　to　lodge　a　formal　plaint。　When　you　visit　the　New　York　FBI　office　you　are　ushered　into　one　of　several　small　cubicles　where　a　polite　young　man　hears　you　out　sympathetically。　You　can　imagine　the　loonies　and　weirdos　who　must　pester　the　FBI　day　after　day。　But　after　hearing　a　summary　of　my　story；　my　man　escorted　me　to　another　room　where　I　was　interviewed　by　a　group　of　older　agents　who　were　obviously　extremely　interested　in　my　problems。　They　expressed　surprise　that。　I　had　been　given　a　tour　of　the　exchange　building。　This　was　unheard　of。　The　FBI　and　CIA　hate　each　other；　and　they　both　hate　the　telephone　pany。　The　telephone　pany；　in　turn；　seems　to　hate　everybody。
　　
　　In　April　1968；　my　outrageous　phone　bills　were　unpaid　so　my　service　was　cut　off；　both　ining　and　outgoing。　I　simply　told　everyone　to　use　the　four　zero　number。　Although　my　line　was　supposedly　disconnected　at　the　main　exchange；　I　continued　to　receive　phone　calls。　The　line　should　have　been　totally　dead　。。。　but　there　was　power　ing　through　on　it　from　somewhere。　Technically　this　should　have　been　impossible　unless…unless　the　New　York　Telephone　pany　was　the　one　who　was　tapping　my　phone！
　　
　　Phones　in　the　country　are　much　easier　to　tap。　Lines　strung　across　the　countryside　offer　easy　access。　It　is　even　possible　to　mount　a　small　induction　coil　next　to　the　telephone　box　on　the　subject's　house。　Modern　technology　is　so　sophisticated　that　a　physical　tap　is　not　necessary。　A　panel　truck　containing　the　necessary　equipment　can　simply　park　near　the　telephone　line　and　pick　up　all　the　conversations　like　a　radio　signal。
　　
　　In　〃the　1960s　there　were　many　mysterious　panel　trucks　cruising　around　flap　areas　and　sometimes　they　went　to　great　pains　to　focus　attention　on　telephones　and　telephone　lines。　One　tactic　was　what　I　call　the　〃silver　tape　gambit。〃　Lengths　of　silver　tape　are　strung　rather　meaninglessly　on　the　telephone　poles　close　to　the　subject's　home。　I　came　across　this　several　times　and　collected　some　samples　of　the　tape。　It　was　not　electrical　tape　such　as　might　be　used　by　telephone　repairmen　but　was　a　mon　weather　insulating　tape　available　in　almost　any　hardware　store。
　　
　　〃There　was　also　evidence　at　this　time　that　＇the　witnesses's＇　phone　had　been　tampered　with；〃　Jennifer　Stevens　reported　from　Albany；　New　York；　in　1968。　〃She　observed　two　'light　Negroid　types'　with　pletely　expressionless　faces；　stringing　'silver　tape'　on　the　wires　near　her　home。　Since　they　did　not　have　an　official　telephone　pany　car；　she　called　the　police。　The　men　left　before　the　officers　arrived　and　the　only　ment　made　by　police　was：　'Oh；　the　silver　tape　again。'　〃
　　
　　In　March　1968；　a　large　four…engined　plane　with　no　visible　markings　skirted　the　treetops　over　Henderson；　West　Virginia；　just　south　of　Point　Pleasant；　and　discharged　a　large　quantity　of　silver　tape　over　the　trees　in　the　area。　Sheriff　George　Johnson　collected　some　of　it　and　passed　samples　on　to　me。　Matching　samples　I　had　collected　from　Ohio；　Florida；　and　several　other　places；　it　was　identical　to　the　stuff　being　used　by　our　mystery　men。　Since　the　tapes　are　extremely　sticky　（the　glue　is　about　equal　to　the　glue　on　Con…Tact　paper）　one　wonders　how　a　fast…moving　plane　was　able　to　discharge　it　in　a　stream　and　what　was　the　point　of　the　exercise？
　　
　　III
　　
　　The　U。S。　Air　Force　had　lied　to　me。　The　telephone　pany　lied　to　me。　The　UFO　entities　lied　to　me。　My　own　senses　had；　on　occasion；　lied　to　me。　As　December　15　drew　closer　I　kept　my　mouth　shut　and　told　no　one　that　I　expected　a　major　blackout。　After　all；　Pope　Paul　had　escaped　assassination　in　Turkey。　None　of　the　chemical　factories　along　the　Ohio　had　exploded。　Maybe　this　was　just　another　mischievous　error　of　prophecy；　or　a　description　of　something　in　the　past　or　far　in　the　future。
　　
　　A　security　officer　for　the　Transit　Authority　and　an　old　friend　of　mine；　Joe　Woodvine；　happened　to　drop　by　my　apartment　late　on　the　afternoon　of　the　fifteenth。　I　hadn't　seen　him　in　a　long　time　and　he　knew　nothing　about　UFOs　and　my　capers。　I　didn't　mention　the　blackout　until　Dan　Drasin　stopped　in。　Joe　listened　in　open…mouthed　amazement　as　I　explained　to　Dan　that　I　expected　the　nation　to　blow　a　fuse　the　moment　President　Johnson　pulled　that　switch。　Dan　was　as　far　gone　as　I　was。　He　glanced　nervously　at　his　watch　and　decided　that　if　there　was　going　to　be　a　blackout　he　preferred　to　be　in　his　own　apartment。　Joe　became　very　silent；　probably　wondering　if　we　were　dangerous。
　　
　　Dan　left　about　5　P。M。　I　switched　on　the　television。　At　5：45　the　brief　White　House　ceremony　began。　I　broke　out　my　candles　and　flashlights。　Joe　watched　me　worriedly。　President　Johnson　delivered　the　customary　little　speech　to　the　crowd　on　the　White　House　lawn；　reached　for　the　switch；　arid　the　Christmas　tree　blazed　with　light。　The　crowd　oooed　and　ahhed　as　if　they　bid　never　seen　a　Christmas　tree　before。　My　lights　did　not　go　out。　Joe　studied　me　silently。
　　
　　Suddenly　an　announcer's　voice　came　over　the　crowd　noises。
　　
　　〃We　interrupt　this　program；〃　he　announced　flatly；　〃for　a　special　bulletin。　A　bridge　laden　with　rush…hour　traffic　has　just　collapsed　at　Gallipolis；　Ohio。　Further　details　as　soon　as　they　are　available。〃
　　
　　I　fell　back　in　my　chair。　There　was　no　bridge　at　Gallipolis；　Ohio。　The　only　bridge　on　that　stretch　of　the　river　was　the　seven…hundred…foot　Silver　Bridge　at　Point　Pleasant。　The　bridge　I　had　crossed　a　thousand　times。
　　
　　〃They've　done　it　again；〃　I　finally　muttered　softly。　〃Those　lousy　bastards　have　done　it　again。　They　knew　this　was　going　to　happen　。。。　and　when。　And　they　gave　me　all　that　bilge　about　a　power　failure。　They　knew。　They　just　didn't　want　me　to　be　able　to　warn　anyone。〃
　　
　　〃They　。。。　who's　'they；'　John？〃　Joe　asked　gently。　The　phone　rang。　It　was　Dan。　〃Did　you　hear？〃
　　
　　〃I　heard。　I　guess　that's　what　it　was　all　about；　Dan。　That's　what　it　was　all　about〃　
　　　
　　
　　　19　…　Where　the　Birds　Gather　。。。
　　
　　I
　　
　　Thirteen　months　to　the　day　（November　15；　1966…De…cember　15；　1967）　the　Year　of　the　Garuda　came　to　an　end。　Like　some　evil　specter　of　death；　Mothman　and　the　UFOs　had　focused　national　attention　on　quiet　little　Point　Pleasant　and　lured　scores　of　reporters　and　investigators　like　myself　to　the　Ohio　River　valley。　When　the　Silver　Bridge　died　of　old　age　many　of　these　same　reporters　returned　once　again　to　the　village　to　revisit　old　friends　and　to　share　the　pain　of　that　tragic　Christmas。　Wherever　you　were；　you　watched　the　agonized　aftermath　on　national　television　and　read　about　Point　Pleasant　on　the　front　pages　of　your　local　newspapers。
　　
　　The　Silver　Bridge　was　constructed　in　1928　and　was　an　engineering　marvel　in　its　day。　It　became　a　main　artery　from　West　Virginia　to　Ohio；　but　had　not　been　designed　for　the　heavy　traffic　of　the　1960s。　Huge　trucks　lumbered　across　it　continuously。　People　on　both　sides　of　the　river　crossed　it　daily　to　shop；　go　to　work；　visit　friends。　The　next　nearest　bridge　was　almost　fifty　miles　upriver。　
　　
　　　
　　
　　＇*＇　On　June　16；　1967；　Mrs。　Gladys　Fusaro　of　Huntington；　New　York；　received　a　phone　call　from　a　woman　claiming　to　be　Princess　Moon　Owl。　The　princess　gave　her　this　statement　to　pass　on　to　me：　〃The　pebbles　on　the　beach　are　washed　under　the　bridge　where　the　birds　gather　and　where　rays　of　light　show　through。〃　
　　
　　
　　
　　On　the　Ohio　side　of　the　river；　at　the　little　cluster　of　shops　and　dwellings　called　Kanauga；　the　stoplight　at　the　mouth　of　the　bridge　was　malfunctioning　that　afternoon。　It　was　stuck　on　green　and　the　rush…hour　traffic　along　Route　7　was　creeping　past　in　confusion。　Traffic　was　backing　up　in　both　directions　and　at　5　P。M。　the　bridge　was　laden　with　slow…moving　lines　of　cars　and　trucks　in　both　directi