jdavid.footprintsofthunder-第11部分

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e　situations　is　to　negotiate。　The　best　weapon　in　these　situations　is　time。　Wear　the　criminal　down；　maybe　send　in　some　tainted　food。　I'd　say；　for　the　hostages　sakes；　we　should　give　this　another　day　or　so　before　we　attempt　a　rescue。〃
　Jenkins　stared　at　him　quizzically。
　〃Thanks　for　your　advice；　but　this　situation　is　a　little　different　for　a　couple　of　reasons。　First；　we　are　getting　no　demands。　Every　time　we　attempt　to　negotiate　he　refuses　to　talk。　He　doesn't　seem　to　want　anything　and　has　no　political　agenda　that　we　can　discern。　Second；　the　man　holding　the　hostages　seems　to　have　a　deadline　in　mind。　He　keeps　saying　things　like　'it　will　be　over　soon'　and　'I'll　let　them　go　when　it's　over。'　It's　a　vague　deadline；　apparently　meaningful　only　to　him；　but　he　appears　to　be　getting　more　agitated。　If　he　does　go　off　the　deep　end　。　。　。　well；　I'm　not　waiting　for　that　to　happen。〃
　He　was　staring　at　Kyle　when　he　paused；　so　Kyle　nodded　firmly　with　a　serious　look。　As　expected；　Agent　Jenkins　took　that　as　agreement。
　〃Officer　Kyle；〃　he　continued；　〃we've　got　a　special　job　for　you。〃
　Kyle　felt　like　saying　〃Yippee。〃
　〃These　rangers　here〃…once　again　Jenkins　nodded　toward　the　other　climbers〃tell　me　there　is　another　entrance　to　that　cave。　They　say　that　getting　there　is　not　an　easy　climb。　That's　why　we　waited　for　someone　with　your　experience。　They'll　show　you　the　way。　We'll　give　you　four　hours　to　get　into　position。　Then　we　cut　the　lights　and　you　position　yourself　in　the　cave。　Then　we'll　distract　him　and　you　can　take　him　from　behind。〃
　As　it　turned　out　four　hours　was　barely　enough。　The　other　climbers；　Jay；　Kimberly；　and　Shirley；　were　rangers。　All　were　athletic　and　had　the　weathered　appearance　of　people　who　spent　more　time　outdoors　than　in。　None　looked　older　than　mid…twenties。　Both　Shirley　and　Kimberly　were　somewhere　between　plain　and　pretty。　They　were　both　brunettes；　with　short　hair；　but　Shirley　seemed　more　animated；　and　her　face　had　a　few　laugh　lines。　As　the　leader；　Shirley　directed　Kyle　to　leave　his　kermantle　and　other　gear　in　his　car。　This　was　strictly　a　free　climb。
　They　set　off　through　the　trees　following　a　little…used　hiking　trail。　It　climbed　gradually；　but　steadily。　Kyle　soon　found　himself　breathing　hard　but　tried　to　disguise　it。　After　about　a　mile　they　branched　off　onto　a　barely　discernible　path。　Another　half　mile　through　the　trees；　up　a　rocky　slope；　and　there　they　faced　a　door　in　the　side　of　the　hill；　a　big　wooden　door　painted　institutional　green；　with　a　hasp　and　large　lock。　Shirley　unlocked　the　door　and　led　the　way　in。　Kyle　hesitated。　Standing　there　on　the　side　of　a　mountain；　about　to　enter　the　door　to　the　underworld；　felt　magical；　unreal；　and　unsettling。
　The　trip　inside　the　cave　was　anything　but　magical。　Shirley　and　the　others　were　small　enough　and　lithe　enough　for　spelunking；　but　Kyle　was　built　more　for　digging　tunnels；　not　crawling　through　them。　Twice　he　got　stuck。　Shirley　had　to　pull　on　one　end　and　rangers　Kimberly　and　Jay　pushed　on　the　other。　After　three　hours　of　crawling　on　his　belly；　squeezing　through　rock…strewn　passages；　and　being　pushed　and　pulled　by　his　guides；　Kyle　was　tired；　sore；　and　had　a　new　appreciation　for　toothpaste。
　They　finally　reached　a　chamber　large　enough　to　stand　in。　Shirley；　who　didn't　seem　to　be　winded；　put　her　finger　to　her　lips　and　pointed　up　at　the　ceiling；　where　Kyle　spotted　a　dark　hole。　When　Kyle　shone　his　helmet　light　toward　it；　Shirley　slapped　her　hand　over　it　and　jerked　him　to　one　side。
　〃Careful；　he　might　see　it；〃　she　whispered。　〃You'll　have　to　go　first　from　here。　We'll　follow　you。〃
　〃But　I　don't　know　the　way。　Why　don't　you　lead？〃
　〃You　have　to　go　first。　You've　got　the　gun。　Once　we're　in　the　chimney　we　can't　pass　each　other。　If　you　get　stuck；　you'll　have　to　get　yourself　unstuck。〃
　Kyle　thought　about　offering　Shirley　his　pistol。　He　thought　about　it　seriously。
　〃All　right；〃　he　said　finally；　〃is　it　just　straight　up？〃
　〃You　need　to　shinny　up　the　chimney　about　thirty　feet。　There　you'll　find　a　horizontal　tube　to　follow　for　another　hundred　feet。　Be　quiet；　because　you'll　be　above　the　cave　with　the　hostages。　Don't　worry　about　falling　through　the　opening。　The　light　from　the　cave　below　should　outline　it。〃
　〃When　I　drop　into　the　cave　which　way　is　the　cover？〃
　〃Right　is　closer；〃　Shirley　said。　Then　she　looked　him　up　and　down。　〃But　I　think　we've　got　too　much　man　and　too　little　rock。　You'll　have　to　scrunch　down　pretty　small。　If　you　have　time；　go　left　instead。　There's　some　pretty　good　stalagmites　to　hide　behind　if　you　can　make　it。〃
　Shirley　smiled　at　him　again　and　then　pointed　up　to　the　hole　in　the　roof　of　the　cave。　It　was　smooth　on　the　inside；　and　he　had　to　stand　on　his　tiptoes　to　feel　a　rock　ledge。　He　was　too　stretched　out　to　get　any　lift　out　of　his　legs；　so　he　pulled　himself　up　with　his　arms　and　then　jammed　his　elbows　over　the　ledge　to　hold　himself。　As　he　started　kicking　his　legs；　he　realized　he　must　look　silly　to　Shirley。　Then　he　felt　hands　on　his　rear　shoving　him　up　into　the　cave　until　he　had　his　legs　wedged　into　the　opening。　Then　one　of　the　hands　came　back　and　patted　his　bottom。　He　hoped　the　hand　had　been　Shirley's　or　Kimberly's　and　not　Jay's。
　He　put　his　back　against　the　wall　and　his　knees　against　the　edge　and　began　to　inch　his　way　up；　first　pushing　his　back　up　and　then　his　knees。　The　little　light　from　the　helmets　of　the　rangers　faded　as　each　entered　the　chimney。　It　was　perfectly　dark；　Kyle　thought；　if　you　can　use　the　word　perfect　to　describe　a　condition　where　your　most　valuable　sense　is　useless。　The　chimney　widened　and　Kyle　had　to　use　more　leg　strength。　He　wanted　to　slow　his　ascent；　but　every　time　he　did　he　was　bumped　by　the　energetic　climber　below　him。
　He　nearly　fell　out　of　the　chimney　when　he　reached　the　horizontal　tube。　He　inched　up　with　his　legs；　and　when　he　brought　his　back　up　he　flopped　inside。　Kyle　managed　to　roll　over　and　began　inching　his　way　along　the　tube。　His　eyes；　perfectly　dark　adapted；　could　see　light　up　ahead。　As　he　approached　the　opening　to　the　cave　below　he　slowed　his　pace。　He　could　feel　the　climber　behind　bumping　into　his　feet；　and　he　reached　the　opening　with　fifteen　minutes　to　spare。
　Someone　tugged　on　his　pant　leg　and　then　whispered　into　his　shoes。　It　was　Shirley。
　〃Aren't　you　going　to　check　the　cave？〃
　Kyle　waited　long　enough　for　Shirley　to　think　he　had　not　heard　her；　then　he　crawled　forward　and　slowly　bent　into　the　opening。　He　lowered　his　head　until　his　eyes　cleared　the　edge。　Everything　was　upside　down。　He　jerked　his　head　back　up　and　mentally　inverted　the　scene。　All　the　people　were　where　they　were　supposed　to　be。
　With　one　minute　to　go　he　inched　over　the　opening　and。　arched　over　the　hole　with　his　hands　on　one　side　and　his　legs　on　the　other。　All　he　had　to　do　now　was　drop　his　legs　into　the　cave；　hang　briefly　by　his　hands；　and　then　drop　noiselessly　into　the　cave。
　The　lights　went　out　on　schedule　and　Kyle　dropped。　As　he　swung　down　into　the　darkness　the　rock　in　his　hands　crumbled。　His　swinging　legs　continued　upward　as　he　fell；　bringing　his　head　and　shoulders　down。　He　hit　the　cave　floor　with　a　loud　thump。　Pieces　of　crumbled　rocks　avalanched　down　on　him。　A　large　chunk　smacked　him　in　the　face；　bloodying　the　bridge　of　his　nose。
　The　hostages　were　screaming　and　crying　and　the　gunman　was　yelling　for　everyone　to　〃stay　put〃　and　〃keep　quiet。〃　Kyle　rolled　to　his　knees　and　started　to　get　up　and　then　he　realized　he'd　lost　all　sense　of　direction。　One　way　was　the　back　of　the　cave　wall。　Two　directions　led　to　safety　and　one　to　the　gunman。　Each　second　he　hesitated　seemed　like　an　eternity；　the　flashlights　would　be　on　soon。　He　flinched　when　a　thump　sounded　next　to　him　and　a　hand　touched　his　side；　moving　up　until　it　gripped　his　arm。　He　was　pulled　up　and　directed　forward　into　the　inky　blackness。
　Suddenly　a　light　filled　the　room；　and　he　felt　himself　being　tripped　and　pushed　to　the　ground。　Someone　landed　on　top　of　him。　More　tiny　spotlights　filled　the　cavern。　The　gunman　yelled　until　quiet　was　restored；　and　as　he　was　yelling　Kyle　lifted　his　head　and　looked　carefully　around。　He　was　on　his　stomach　behind　the　stalagmites。　He　twisted　his　head　around　and　could　barely　make　out　Shirley's　face　inches　from　his。　In　disbelief　she　shook　her　head　and　started　dabbing　off　the　blood　from　the　bridge　of　his　nose。　Kyle　felt　like　an　idiot　and　began　wishing　he　was　back　on　a　country　road　aiming　his　radar　gun　at　girls　on　horses。　Shirley　finished　with　his　nose　and　then　kissed　it。　Kyle　hoped　it　was　too　dark　for　Shirley　to　see　his　face　turning　red。
　
　TIME　QUILT
　
　9。　　　MARIEL　WEATHERBY
　
　One　novel　feature　of　spacetime　predicted　by　Einstein's　equations　is　called　a　wormhole。　These　holes　in　spacetime　connect　one　region　of　space　with　another　distant　region；　and　one　time　with　another　distant　time。　To　travel　through　one　would　be　to　travel　through　time。　One　wonders　in　the　vast　universe；　if　there　might　be　other　spacetime　phenomena　that　would　permit　such　travel。
　…Robert　Yee；　The　Einstein　Revolution
　
　Somewhere　over　the　Atlantic　the　laws　of　time　and　space　were　suddenly　rewritten；　and　the　resulting　effect　began　to　spread　east　and　west。　Land　suddenly　appeared　in　the　ocean…not　dropped；　but　layed　down　gently　on　a　watery　foundation　that　could　not　support　it；　and　soon；　like　ancient　Atlantis；　those　lan