jdavid.footprintsofthunder-第5部分

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hen　we　use　our　position　to　plete　the　triangle。〃
　〃But　if　you　know　where　we　are　why　do　you　have　to　do　all　this？〃　Rosa　asked。
　〃Yeah；〃　Chris　echoed　his　new　sister。　〃If　we　know　where　we　are　why　do　we　have　to　do　this？〃
　〃We　don't　know　exactly　where　we　are；　we　estimate　it　based　on　course　and　speed　from　our　last　position。　But　an　approximate　position　isn't　good　enough。　We　have　to　know　exactly　where　we　are。　This　is　where　the　sextant　es　in。〃　Ron　lifted　it　out　of　its　box。　Chris　made　a　grab　again；　but　Ron　held　it　up　high。　〃I　use　the　sextant。　Maybe　I'll　show　Rosa　how　to　use　it　if　she　wants。〃
　〃What　about　me？〃　Chris　whined。
　〃Well；　maybe；〃　Ron　said　doubtfully。　He　looked　to　Carmen　for　help；　but　the　look　on　her　face　said　she　was　enjoying　his　predicament。
　〃We　know　the　three　points　of　our　triangle；　and　based　on　that　we　know；　at　a　certain　time；　how　high　the　star　should　be　above　the　horizon。　We　use　the　sextant　to　read　the　exact　height　of　the　star　above　the　horizon；　and　mark　the　time　of　the　reading。　Then；　since　we　know　for　sure　two　points　of　the　triangle；　we　can　adjust　the　position　of　the　third　point　based　on　the　difference　between　our　estimated　altitude　of　the　star　and　the　actual　altitude。〃
　Ron　looked　around　at　his　miniaudience。　Carmen　was　still　grinning；　Chris　was　staring　blankly；　and　Rosa　glared　angrily　at　him。　Ron　couldn't　imagine　why　his　navigation　lesson　would　make　her　mad。　Then　Rosa　blurted　it　out。
　〃This　is　geometry；　isn't　it？　This　is　some　sort　of　trick　to　get　me　to　do　homework；　isn't　it？〃
　〃No；　it's　not　a　trick。　It　is　geometry；　but　I　thought　you　would　be　interested。　。。。　I　mean；　you　have　to　do　this　to　sail　offshore。〃
　〃Just　what　I　want　to　do；　float　around　the　ocean　doing　geometry。　Just　how　often　do　you　have　to　do　these　calculations？〃
　〃Seven　or　eight　times　a　day。　You　do　the　first　before　sunrise；　a　couple　of　sun　sights　in　the　morning；　a　noon　sight。　。　。〃
　Ron　stopped　talking。　He　knew　he　was　making　Rosa's　hostility　worse。
　〃Eight　times　a　day？　You　have　to　do　the　calculations　eight　times　a　day？　And　you　get　to　get　up　early　to　do　them？　What　a　sweet　deal〃
　〃Well；　it's　not　that　bad。　Most　of　the　calculations　are　done　for　you；　you　just　use　the　tables；　or　the　electronic　navigator　in　the　cabin。〃
　〃I　know　if　I　tried　to　pay　someone　to　do　my　geometry　homework　you　would　ground　me　forever。　And　now　I'm　supposed　to　do　yours？　Well；　if　I　have　to　do　geometry　to　sail；　it's　another　good　reason　to　stay　on　land。　There　all　you　have　to　do　is　read　the　signs；　or　a　map。〃　
　〃But　the　stars　are　the　map　out　here。〃
　　　〃Yeah；〃　Chris　cut　in；　〃the　stars　are　a　map。　Kind　of　a　connect　the　dots。〃
　Ron　scowled　at　Chris　while　Rosa　got　up　and　stomped　down　the　deck　to　the　bow。　Carmen　gave　Ron　a　look　that　said　〃You　should　have　known　better。〃　Ron　thought　about　Rosa　and　then　he　thought　of　Bermuda；　and　then　he　got　depressed；　Chris　was　still　sitting　there　with　him；　looking　at　the　sextant。　Maybe；　Ron　thought；　if　I　get　Chris　interested　Rosa　will　e　back。
　〃You　want　to　see　how　the　sextant　works；　Chris？〃
　Chris　lit　up　like　a　kid　on　Christmas　morning。
　〃Yeah；　sure。　Can　I　hold　it　too？〃
　Ron　spent　a　few　minutes　with　Chris；　showing　him　how　to　sight　the　sun　and　the　horizon　and　make　the　readings。　It　was　clear　Chris　mostly　wanted　to　look　through　the　sextant's　telescopic　sight；　so　Ron　gave　up　and　let　him。　Rosa　never　came　back。　Instead　she　was　sunbathing　on　the　bow。　Finally；　Ron　set　Chris　up　with　a　fishing　pole　and　then　settled　in　next　to　Carmen　at　the　helm。
　
　The　Entrepreneur　sailed　southwest　into　the　afternoon。　When　Ron　dropped　the　sea　anchor　they　ate。　Carmen　had　cooked　crab　in　the　icebox；　and　they　cracked　and　ate　it　with　salad；　and　soft　bread　sticks。　The　lunch　warmed　Rosa's　heart　enough　to　get　her　talking　to　Ron　again。　After　lunch　Chris　talked　them　into　playing　spoons；　his　favorite　card　game。　Carmen　had　never　played；　and　Chris　expertly　explained　how　the　cards　are　passed　in　a　circle　until　a　player　gets　four　of　a　kind；　and　then　picks　up　one　of　the　three　spoons　on　the　table。　Then；　in　a　race；　the　other　players　try　to　grab　the　remaining　spoons。　Chris　cautioned　her　not　to　get　faked　into　grabbing　one　too　soon　but　in　the　first　round　feigned　a　grab　and　tricked　her。　Laughing　as　they　played；　they　shared　a　good　feeling。　Finally；　Carmen　announced　it　was　time　for　swimming。
　They　spent　the　next　hour　jumping　off　the　stern　into　the　warm　blue　waters。　Finally；　exhausted；　the　kids　stretched　out　on　the　bow　to　warm　themselves　while　Ron　and　Carmen　settled　in　the　stern。
　〃You're　being　too　obvious；　you　know？〃　Carmen　said。　〃About　Rosa；　I　mean。　You　can't　force　her　to　want　to　go　to　Bermuda。〃
　〃I　know。　I　gave　up　after　the　navigation　debacle。〃
　〃That　was　pretty　funny。　Trying　to　get　a　teenager　to　like　sailing　by　teaching　her　geometry。　Did　you　notice　things　went　better　after　you　stopped　trying？〃
　〃Well；　we　did　have　a　good　time　after　lunch。　But　we　can　play　cards　at　home。　That　has　nothing　to　do　with　sailing；〃
　〃But　we　don't　play　cards　at　home。　The　kids　have　their　friends　and　TV。　You　and　I　have　our　jobs；　and　we　tend　to　bring　them　home　with　us。　When　was　the　last　time　we　played　cards？　I　mean　all　of　us；　as　a　family？〃
　Carmen　was　right；　Ron　admitted。　The　isolation　of　offshore　sailing　had　brought　them　together。　Perhaps　Rosa　would　never　love　sailing；　but　the　experience　might　help　meld　the　family。　That　was　more　important　than　a　sail　to　Bermuda；　Ron　told　himself。　He　tried　telling　himself　that　again；　but　still　a　part　of　him　wanted　Bermuda；　and　it　wasn't　looking　good。　Ron　leaned　back；　looking　up　into　the　clear　blue　sky；　and　silently　hoped　nothing　else　would　go　wrong。
　
　5。　　　HOSTAGES
　
　I　was　awakened　this　morning　by　the　sound　of　pounding　on　my　roof。　I　went　to　the　window　to　see　a　most　surprising　sight。　Dried　fish　were　pouring　from　the　sky　onto　the　houses　ond　into　the　street。　When　the　shower　ended　the　natives　collected　the　fish　into　baskets。　My　aide　estimated　that　3000　to　4000　fish　had　fallen。
　…Colonel　Witherspoon；　India　；1836
　
　Ashland；　Oregon
　PREQUILT：　SATURDAY；　3：40　P。M。　PST
　
　　Deputy　Sheriff　Robin　Kyle　was　parked　with　his　feet　stretched　out　on　the　front　seat　of　his　patrol　car。　He　wasn't　asleep　but　was　only　about　one　level　of　consciousness　away；　his　eyes　partially　open；　semialert　for　criminal　activity。　Of　course　much　criminal　activity…or　even　traffic…would　be　rare　on　this　particular　dirt　road。　That　was　why　Kyle　had　picked　this　patrol。　He　had　no　intention　of　ruining　a　beautiful　fall　day　by　actually　catching　a　criminal。　He　wasn't　lazy；　exactly；　it　was　just　that　relaxation　came　naturally　to　him；　and　since　there　was　very　little　real　crime　in　Jackson　county；　he　believed　he　was　making　best　use　of　his　time。
　Occasional　calls　and　assignments　could　be　heard　over　his　radio　speaker；　but　he　had　turned　the　radio　down　low　enough　so　it　didn't　distract　him。　A　horse　clip…clopped　past　his　cruiser；　ridden　by　a　teenage　girl。　Kyle　alternated　between　watching　the　rider's　and　horse's　rears　wiggle　rhythmically。　He　picked　up　his　radar　gun　and　aimed　it　at　the　retreating　behinds。　Too　bad；　he　thought；　they're　within　the　legal　limit。　He　was　still　watching　the　behinds　when　he　heard　his　unit　number。　He　ignored　it　the　first　time　but　reluctantly　answered　it　after　the　second　call。
　〃Sorry　to　bother　you　while　you're　so　busy；　Kyle；〃　Karon；　the　dispatcher　said；　as　if　she　knew　what　he　was　doing。　〃But　we　got　a　call　that　only　you　can　answer。　Seems　they've　got　a　hostage　situation　in　the　Oregon　Caves。〃
　Kyle　pounded　the　side　of　his　head　like　something　was　stuck　in　his　ear。
　〃You　said　in　the　Oregon　Caves？　What　kind　of　hostage　situation；　Karon？〃
　〃The　usual　kind；　Kyle！　Someone　with　a　gun　is　holding　a　dozen　people　hostage　down　in　the　caves。　Says　he　won't　kill　them　as　long　as　no　one　interferes。〃
　Kyle　was　trying　to　understand　why　someone　had　selected　a　cave　to　take　hostages　in。　Certainly　it　would　be　a　difficult　place　to　assault；　and　guns　would　be　almost　useless。　Any　wayward　shot　would　ricochet　wildly；　killing　indiscriminately。　Still　it　wasn't　like　hijacking　a　jet。　A　jet　could　take　you　somewhere。　Even　a　bus　could　do　that；　but　not　a　cave。　And　this　particular　cave　was　in　the　middle　of　nowhere。
　〃That's　mighty　peculiar；　Karon；〃　Kyle　cut　in。　〃Someone　selecting　a　cave　to　hold　hostages　in！　I　got　a　dollar　says　he　wants　free　transportation　to　a　worker's　paradise　somewhere。　Have　there　been　any　demands？〃
　〃Negative；　Kyle。　You　ready　for　the　strange　part？　The　guy　with　the　gun　says　he's　saving　the　people　in　the　cave。　Says　he　doesn't　want　to　be　alone　after　it　happens。〃
　〃After　what　happens？〃
　〃After　the　world　ends。〃
　〃What　do　they　want　me　for？〃
　〃They're　looking　for　officers　with　cave　experience。　They　heard　about　your　rescue　training。〃
　Kyle　winced　at　the　mention　of　that。　He　had　taken　the　special　training　as　an　excuse　to　take　two　weeks　off；　drink　beer　with　some　friends　of　his；　and　get　a　little　extra　in　the　paycheck　each　month。　In　the　two　years　since　the　training　he　had　helped　recover　one　dead　body　from　a　plane　wreck；　and　helped　pull　a　hiker　with　a　broken　leg　up　a　twenty…five…foot　slope。　Kyle　wanted　to　tell　Karon　that　his　training　was　for　rescuing　people　who　want　to　be　rescued；　not　for　going　in　after　some　self…destructive　nut。　Kyle　didn't　seem　to　have　a　choice；　however。
　〃Okay；　Karon；　tell　them　I'll　p