jdavid.footprintsofthunder-第21部分

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　at　how　both　of　them　looked　well　rested　and　well　pressed。　Colonel　Winfield's　uniform　was　stiff　and　smooth；　as　if　it　had　never　been　worn；　his　graying　temples　neatly　bed；　and　his　dark　face　shaved　clean　and　smooth。　Elizabeth　was　just　as　well　groomed。　How　the　two　of　them　could　wake　in　the　middle　of　the　night　and　pull　themselves　together　so　quickly　the　President　couldn't　understand。　Elizabeth　at　least　had　the　advantage　of　age。　She　was　still　in　her　thirties；　but　Colonel　Winfield　was　well　into　his　fifties　and　managed　the　same　trick。　To　look　presidential；　McIntyre　pulled　himself　erect　as　he　walked　into　the　room。
　All　the　lights　were　on；　including　the　green　shaded　reading　light　on　his　desk。　Still　the　room　looked　dark　to　the　President；　perhaps　because　of　the　dark　windows　behind　the　desk。　Why　is　it；　the　President　thought；　that　the　dark　of　morning　is　different　than　the　dark　of　night？
　He　sat　behind　his　desk；　picked　up　a　paper　clip　and　twisted　it　into　a　miniature　crank；　which　he　would　fiddle　with　all　through　the　meeting。　The　paper　clip　signaled　he　was　ready　and　Elizabeth　began。
　〃Something　has　happened　。　。　。　something　strange。〃
　That　was　all　she　said。　The　President　looked　at　her　with　surprise。　Elizabeth　Hawthorne　at　a　loss　for　words？　She　and　Colonel　Winfield　exchanged　glances；　but　neither　spoke。
　〃What　has　happened？〃　he　prompted。　〃Have　the　Russians　invaded　the　Baltic　states？　Did　California　shake　into　the　sea？　Have　I　been　impeached？〃
　〃Parts　of　the　country　have　。。。　are　。。。　experiencing　munication　disruptions；　blackouts；　and　there　have　been　some　disappearances；〃　Elizabeth　said。
　〃Disappearances？　Who　has　disappeared？〃
　〃It's　not　a　matter　of　who　。　。　。　well；　I　don't　mean　to　overlook　the　human　dimension　but　。　。　。　Mr。　President；　it　appears　that　a　large　section　of　New　York　City　has　disappeared。〃
　President　McIntyre　was　baffled。
　〃What　do　you　mean　'disappeared'？　I　can　understand　devastated；　or　vaporized；　or　flooded；　but　what　the　hell　does　disappeared　mean？〃
　〃It　means；　Mr。　President；　that　where　there　were　buildings；　streets；　cars；　and　people；　there　is　now　nothing；〃
　〃Nothing？　Nothing　means　an　absence　of　anything　。　。　。　a　void。〃
　〃What　Ms。　Hawthorne　means；　sir；〃　Colonel　Winfield　cut　in；　〃is　where　there　was　a　city；　there　is　now　countryside。〃
　The　President　sat　back　in　his　desk　chair；　reclining。　He　was　considering　the　possibility　of　a　practical　joke；　but　Elizabeth　was　humorless。　President　Mcintyre　had　never　heard　her　utter　anything　more　than　a　polite　courtesy　chuckle　now　and　then。　But　if　this　wasn't　a　joke；　then　what？　Cities　don't　disappear；　at　least　they　never　had。
　〃I'm　still　having　trouble　understanding　this　。。。　a　section　of　New　York　City　is　now　devoid　of　buildings　and　streets　。　。　。　and　people　。　。　。　and　is　now　farmland；　or　something？〃
　〃Yes；　sir；〃　Colonel　Winfield　said；　〃and　the　rest　of　the　city　is　blacked　out。　The　reports　are　unofficial；　but　they　do　seem　to　he　consistent。　Inbound　mercial　flights　to　Kennedy　International　have　been　rerouted　。　。　。　and　at　least　one　aircraft　has　been　lost。　Kennedy　International　is　gone…we've　confirmed　it　with　our　own　flyover。〃
　The　President　was　lost　in　thought；　thinking　about　what　Colonel　Winfield　was　saying。　The　paper　clip　in　his　hands　slowed　its　twirl　to　a　near　stop。　From　experience　Elizabeth　and　the　colonel　knew　not　to　interrupt；　the　President　processed　slowly　but　thoroughly。　Finally　the　paper　clip　picked　up　speed　and　the　President　looked　up。
　〃You　said　'parts　of　the　country'　and　'disappearances。'　You　used　the　plural；　didn't　you？〃
　Elizabeth　stood　and　walked　over　to　the　President's　desk。
　〃Mr。　President；　there　are　similar　reports　from　other　regions　of　the　country。　Blackouts；　tornadoes；　sonic　booms；　and　sudden　disappearances　of　roads　and　even　whole　towns。　We　don't　know　how　widespread　it　is；　but　it　is　not　an　isolated　incident。〃
　〃Colonel　Winfield；　I　want　flyovers　of　as　many　areas　as　possible　and　satellite　reconnaissance　if　you　can　get　it；　I've　got　to　see　this　for　myself。　If　the　military　hasn't　gone　to　full　alert　then　it　should　immediately。　I　want　a　full　intelligence　briefing　at　the　staff　meeting。〃
　Colonel　Winfield　nodded　and　left。　Elizabeth　turned　。to　leave；　but　the　President　stopped　her。
　〃Elizabeth；　I've　lost　track　of　Sandy's　schedule。〃
　〃The　first　lady　is　in　Atlanta；　Mr。　President。　We　have　no　word　about　Atlanta。〃
　〃Thank　you；　Elizabeth。〃
　When　Elizabeth　left；　the　President　was　staring　out　the　dark　window　and　twisting　the　paper　clip　crank　around　and　around。
　
　17。　　SCIENCE　ADVISOR
　
　The　morning　I　arrived　in　Singapore　the　heavens　filled　the　street　with　fishes。　When　the　fish　stopped　falling　the　Chinese　ond　the　Malays　gathered　them　up；　most　returning　home　with　an　overflowing　basket。　A　most　unusual　introduction　to　a　most　unusual　country。
　…Francois　de　Castelnou；　February　16；1861
　
　Washington；　D。C。
　POSTQUILT：　SUNDAY；　5：13　A。M。　EST
　
　There　was　a　phone　beeping　in　Nick　Paulson's　ear。　Nick's　head　was　paralyzed　from　fatigue　but　he　managed　to　roll　his　eyes　ninety　degrees　toward　the　clock　radio。　The　numbers　waved　before　his　eyes　for　a　few　seconds　and　then　coalesced　into　a　fuzzy　pattern　that　resembled　5：13。　The　two　glowing　globs　in　the　cor…net　were　too　blurry　to　read；　but　they　had　to　say　A。M。　The　phone　beeped　again　and　Nick　began　to　wish　for　the　good　old　days　when　phones　jangled。　A　jangle　can　energize　you　and　take　you　from　stage　four　sleep　all　the　way　to　consciousness。　But　a　beep　just　doesn't　have　the　necessary　power　to　blast　you　from　delta　waves　to　alpha　waves。
　On　the　second　try；　Nick　palmed　the　receiver　and　heard　a　voice　respond　to　his　groggy　hello；　but　it　didn't　make　any　sense。　Finally　he　recognized　it　as　belonging　to　Elizabeth　Hawthorne；　the　President's　chief　of　staff。　Elizabeth　Hawthorne　was　a　human　jangle。
　〃Elizabeth　。　。　。　Elizabeth　。　。　。　start　over　please。　I've　only　been　in　bed　a　couple　of　hours。〃
　〃I　said；　we're　calling　an　emergency　Security　Council　meeting　at　seven　this　morning　and　you　are　to　be　there。　It　would　help　if　you　could　e　in　as　soon　as　possible　and　review　some　of　the　reports　we　have。　The　President　will　want　your　assessment。〃
　Nick　was　not　sure　he　understood　her。　Nick　had　never　sat　with　the　Security　Council；　and　he　couldn't　imagine　the　kind　of　emergency　that　would　require　a　science　advisor。　Emergencies　usually　need　only　two　kinds　of　people；　those　who　can　negotiate　and　those　who　can　kill。　Nick　was　sure　he　couldn't　do　the　first；　and　pretty　sure　he　couldn't　do　the　second。
　〃Elizabeth；　can　you　tell　me　the　nature　of　the　emergency？〃
　〃Not　on　this　line。　Dr。　Paulson；　be　here　within　the　hour。〃　Elizabeth　hung　up。　Good…byes　were　superfluous　to　her。　It　was　then　he　noticed　his　heart　was　pounding。　Only　two　things　made　Nick's　heart　pound；　sex　and　fear。　Since　Kathy　had　moved　out　over　two　months　ago；　that　left　only　fear。
　
　Twenty　minutes　later　he　was　directing　his　Volvo　through　the　empty　streets。　The　rain　had　stopped　and　the　streets　were　shiny　and　slick。　Nick　ran　an　electric　razor　over　his　face　as　he　drove；　clearing　away　the　stubble。　He　finished　grooming　by　running　his　fingers　through　his　thinning　blond　hair。　He　decided　to　check　the　radio　for　news；　hoping　to　pick　up　some　clue　to　what　the　Security　Council　was　meeting　to　discuss。　There　was　nothing　but　music　on　the　FM　stations；　but　on　AM　he　picked　up　part　of　a　news　broadcast。
　〃Bill；　how　are　the　people　of　New　York　handling　this　latest　blackout？〃
　〃Well；　so　far；　Maria；　we　have　no　reports　of　looting。　As　our　listeners　know　from　past　blackouts；　some　people　take　advantage　of　unfortunate　circumstances　like　these。　We　can　only　hope　that　the　governor…〃
　Nick　went　back　to　twisting　the　dial。
　The　meeting　could　have　something　to　do　with　the　New　York　situation；　but　blackouts　normally　don't　require　a　meeting　of　the　Security　Council。　Now　if　the　blackout　was　caused　by　terrorist　action　you　might　call　such　a　meeting。　But　why　invite　the　science　advisor？　It　couldn't　be　a　nuclear　attack。　Nick　wasn't　on　the　nuclear　response　team。　Besides；　a　nuclear　blast　would　certainly　have　made　the　newscasts　by　now。　Nick　spun　the　dial　looking　for　more　details　and　rested　briefly　on　a　talk　show。
　〃I'm　telling　you；　Gene；　this　is　what　I　saw。　The　road　is　gone；　the　trees　are　gone；　the　old　candle　factory　is　gone；　everything　is　gone。　Gone；　gone；　gone！　Can't　you　hear　what　I'm　telling　you？〃
　〃Ken　。　。　。　Ken；　I　can　hear　fine。　But　do　you　hear　what　you're　saying？　Do　you？　You　want　me　。　。　。　and　my　listeners　。。。　to　believe　that　you　turned　your　back　for　a　second；　just　a　second；　and　when　you　looked　back　everything　was　snowed　in？　Ken；　it　can't　snow　that　fast。〃
　〃I　didn't　say　it　snowed…〃
　〃Ken　。。。　let　me　finish　。　。　。　suddenly；　without　warning；　on　a　sixty…degree　night；　it　snows　thirty　or　forty　feet。　。　。　enough　to　cover　a　factory？　I'm　not　buying　it；　Ken。　Time　to　refill　your　prescription。〃
　〃Well　why　don't　you　e　out　here　and　I'll　take　some　of　that　imaginary　snow　and　shove　it…〃
　Nick　was　sorry　the　line　went　dead。　Ken　was　about　to　tell　the　talk　show　host　something　Nick　had　always　wanted　to　say　to　a　talk　show　host。
　〃Naughty；　naughty；　Ken。　We　must　please　the　FCC　now；　mustn't　we　。。。　you　butthead。　We've　got　Coop　from　Carlton；　Oregon；　on　line　three。　Go　ahead；　Coop；　you're　on　Night　Talk。〃
　〃Gene；　I　got　another　improbable　indecipherable　for　yo