jdavid.footprintsofthunder-第63部分

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ed　through　the　grass　and　down　the　trail。　Colter　waited　again　to　give　the　smaller　one　some　space。　They　followed　the　trail　only　a　short　distance　when　once　again　something　moved　through　the　grass　toward　the　trail…a　dinosaur　similar　to　the　first　one；　trotting　upright　down　the　trail。　Colter　turned　in　frustration。
　〃It's　like　rush　hour　on　the　freeway。　They're　scavengers；　you　know。〃
　They　were　about　to　strike　out　again；　but　something　moved　through　the　grass　ahead　of　them。　Too　small　to　see；　it　too　was　following　the　scent　of　the　blood。
　Petra　stood　defiantly　and　walked　back　the　way　they　had　e。　When　the　others　caught　up；　she　said　simply；　〃I　know　where　the　dinosaur's　going。　She's　going　home。〃
　Petra　led　them　back　to　the　clearing　and　then　back　into　the　brush　toward　the　nest　of　eggs。　After　a　short　distance　Colter　turned　and　whispered　to　the　others。
　〃You　hear　something　weird？〃
　Petra　and　Dr。　Piltcher　heard　only　the　wind　rustling　the　leaves。　Still　Colter　hesitated　and　only　led　off　after　Dr。　Piltcher　threatened　to。　Colter　crept　forward；　his　pace　slow　and　deliberate。　He　paused　often　to　listen　and　his　eyes　moved　constantly。　Dr。　Piltcher　became　impatient　and　tried　to　push　past　Colter；　who　pulled　him　to　the　ground。
　〃Listen！　Don't　you　hear　it？〃
　Dr。　Piltcher　pushed　Colter's　hands　away；　but　looked　to　see　Petra　squatting；　her　head　tilted　back；　listening　intently。　She　turned　to　Dr。　Piltcher；　her　forehead　creased。
　〃Listen；　there　is　something；〃　she　whispered。
　At　first　Dr。　Piltcher　could　hear　only　the　wind；　but　slowly　his　ears　filtered　it　out。　New　sounds　came：　a　mixture　of　tearing；　slurping；　and　crunching。
　When　Dr。　Piltcher　realized　he　was　listening　to　tearing　flesh　and　crunching　bones；　he　sagged　to　his　knees　and　began　to　sob。　〃Oh；　George；　what　have　I　done　to　you？〃
　
　42。　　THE　PRESIDENT　AND　GOGH
　
　The　rhythm　of　civilizations　is　written　in　the　fabric　of　the　universe　by　the　gods。　But　that　rhythm　speaks　of　an　age　when　the　fabric　will　be　torn。
　…Zorastrus；　Prophet　of　Babylon
　
　The　developed　countries；　self…absorbed　with　their　own　suffering；　offered　little　to　the　Third　World。　With　only　basic　transportation　and　munication　networks；　Third　World　countries　were　thought　to　have　suffered　less；　but　what　they　had　was　essential；　and　the　loss　of　dams；　power　generators；　phones；　bridges；　and　population　was　devastating。　Life　on　the　farms　went　on　virtually；　untouched；　but　the　overcrowded　and　undercivilized　cities　that　suffered　from　the　effect　were　plunged　into　darkness　and　anarchy。　Separatists；　liberation　armies　；　and　the　politically　disaffected　seized　the　opportunity；　and　war　spread。　Ethnic　cleansing　quickly　became　a　norm；　as　peace…keeping　forces　were　withdrawn　to　see　to　the　needs　of　their　home　countries。
　Without　the　support　and　resources　of　their　patrons　in　the　developed　world；　governments　fell　and　civil　war　spread　like　wildfire。　Soon；　even　the　cities　and　regions　untouched　by　the　effect　were　infected　with　the　spreading　disorder。
　War　would　kill　the　most　for　a　while；　but　without　facilities　for　exports；　medicines；　and　imported　food；　disease　and　famine　would　soon　displace　war。　Peoples　dependent　on　U。N。　feeding　stations　would　soon　find　them　empty；　and　regions　battling　famine　would　face　new　horrors。　A　new　order　would　eventually　displace　chaos…political　maps　would　be　drastically　rewritten。　But　the　new　order　would　be　different；　for　it　would　include　the　new　wildlife。
　
　Washington；　D。C。
　POSTQUILT：　TUESDAY；　10：35　EST　
　　
　　The　President　put　down　his　reading　and　leaned　back；　staring　at　the　ceiling。　So　many　bizarre　reports　had　left　him　numb　to　new　horrors。　The　report　on　his　lap　summarized　the　situation　in　South　America。　Elizabeth　kept　insisting　a　worldwide　catastrophe　opened　possibilities　a　President　couldn't　ignore；　but　his　interest　was　in　the　domestic　situation。　Agreeing　finally　to　read　the　summaries；　he　read　with　one　part　of　his　mind　while　the　rest　worried　about　Sandy。　The　Secret　Service　had　lost　touch　with　the　first　lady's　escorts；　and　although　he　knew　they　were　working　frantically　to　reestablish　contact；　every　second　without　word　turned　his　hope　to　despair。
　The　President　turned　back　to　the　report。　It　described　an　incident　in　Argentina　near　La　Plata　where　a　herd　of　cattle　was　attacked　by　an　〃unknown　carnivore。〃　A　rancher　and　his　son　were　killed　trying　to　drive　off　the　beast…killed　and　eaten。　The　locals　fled；　and　the　army　was　called　in　to　kill　the　animal；　which　so　far　had　eluded　them。
　There　were　dozens　of　detailed　stories　like　that　one；　as　well　as　general　descriptions　of　disappearing　dams；　avalanches；　and　missing　cities。　Power　outages　were　widespread　in　Argentina；　Chile；　and　Brazil；　and　virtually　no　news　was　ing　from　the　rest　of　the　continent。　The　reports　were　identical　to　what　had　happened　in　his　own　country　and　only　reinforced　his　feelings　of　helplessness。
　Arnie　Gogh　knocked　at　the　open　door。
　〃Hello；　Arnie。　e　on　in。　I　need　the　relief　from　these　reports。　It's　as　bad　everywhere　else　as　it　is　in　our　country。　None　of　our　allies　escaped。〃
　〃I　know；　Scotty。　I'm　afraid　I　didn't　e　to　make　things　easier　for　you。〃
　〃Sit　down。　Let's　get　it　over　with。〃
　〃First；　we　have　an　unusual　request。　Are　you　familiar　with　our　antarctic　research　station？　There　are　about　two　hundred　personnel　at　the　site。　When　the　。　。　。　it　happened；　they　found　their　camp　sitting　next　to　a　tropical　jungle。　It's　a　familiar　story；　but　it　had　to　be　particularly　stunning　in　a　barren　landscape　like　Antarctica。　They　went　exploring；　naturally；　and　soon　ran　into　something　pretty　nasty。　They　lost　a　couple　of　personnel。　They　retreated　to　camp　to　prepare　themselves　better；　but　it　turned　out　to　be　unnecessary。　The　dinosaurs…which　we　can　assume　they　are…were　sluggish　and　stuporous。　They　were　freezing　to　death　and　soon　most　of　them　slipped　into　a　state　like　hibernation。　Being　enterprising　scientists；　and　not　knowing　the　same　thing　had　happened　all　over　the　world；　they　began　capturing　the　dinosaurs　and　dragged　them　to　their　port。　They　want　to　ship　them　to　a　warmer　climate。〃
　The　President　was　exhausted　from　worry　over　his　wife；　and　the　survival　of　his　country；　and　had　little　patience　for　a　group　of　eggheads　trying　to　save　dinosaurs。
　〃Arnie；　we　don't　need　any　more　dinosaurs。　If　half　of　these　reports　are　true　。　。　。〃　the　President　said　without　finishing。
　〃I　know。　I　know。　But　it's　a　bit　more　plicated　than　it　seems。　There's　a　political　side　to　this。　What　if　things　turn　out　to　be　better　than　we　thought？　What　if　we　can　reverse　this？　Then　what　will　people　think　if　we　let　these　dinosaurs　die？〃
　〃Arnie；　do　we　need　dinosaurs？〃　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　
　〃No。　There's　no　niche　for　them　in　the　ecosystem。　I　can't　imagine　any　of　the　developing　countries　will　want　to　deal　with　them；　and　I　have　no　idea　where　they　could　be　kept　in　our　country。　But　that's　not　the　point。　If　we　let　the　dinosaurs　in　Antarctica　die；　and　they　could　have　been　mating　pairs　for　dinosaurs　elsewhere；　then　the　environmental　lobby　will　blame　us。　Better　to　let　the　antarctic　scientists　risk　their　lives　trying　to　save　them。　We　can　always　shoot　them　later。〃
　The　President　hated　politics　and　political　thinking；　but　Arnie　Gogh　was　good　at　it；　and　he　always　found　his　judgment　reliable。
　〃What's　the　downside　of　this　decision；　Arnie？〃
　〃When　those　dinosaurs　warm　up　on　that　ship　they　could　be　uncontrollable。　There　could　be　personnel　losses；　Scotty。　But　given　the　losses　nationwide　the　losses　on　the　ship　would　be　insignificant。〃
　Amie's　cold　analysis　was　disturbing；　but　correct。　The　President　had　little　to　lose　by　letting　them　try　to　save　the　dinosaurs；　and　there　was　some　potential　for　political　gain。　〃These　dinosaurs　could　be　vegetarians；　right？〃
　〃They　could　be。　They　didn't　specify。　That's　quite　useful；　now　that　I　think　about　it。　If　something　does　go　wrong　then　we　can　always　claim　we　didn't　know　they　were　going　to　move　carnivores。〃
　〃All　right。　Give　them　permission；　but　don't　bring　them　here。〃
　〃I　already　have　a　port　in　Panama　picked　out。　It's　a　good　climate　for　dinosaurs。〃
　The　President　watched　Gogh　as　he　made　a　notation　on　the　outside　of　the　folder　he　was　carrying。　When　he　was　done　he　sat　silently。　The　President　appreciated　his　old　friend's　pany。　The　two　of　them　had　been　friends　since　their　first　university　days；　and　even　when　Arnie　had　been　forced　to　resign　the　President　had　retained　his　respect　for　him。　But　Arnie　wasn't　sitting　there　for　the　pany；　there　was　something　else　on　his　mind。
　〃What　is　it；　Arnie？　News　about　Sandy。〃
　Amie　averted　his　eyes　when　he　spoke；　〃Atlanta　is　gone；　and　Sandy　with　it。　We　haven't　given　up　yet；　but　there's　no　place　to　look　for　her…the　city　isn't　there。〃
　The　President　turned　and　looked　out　the　window；　and　twirled　a　paper　clip　crank。　After　a　minute　he　turned　back　and　said；　〃What　did　you　think　of　Dr。　Paulson's　theory？〃
　〃Highly　improbable…no　foundation。〃
　〃What　else　do　we　have；　Arnie？　I　want　Sandy　back…I　need　Sandy　back。　Will　you　look　at　his　idea；　for　my　sake？〃
　〃I've　looked　at　it。〃
　〃I　mean　really　look　at　it。〃　The　President　leaned　forward　and　put　the　paper　clip　down。　〃Arnie；　I　know　how　badly　it　hurt　to　lose　your　position　here。　You　and　I…we　worked　half　our　lives　to　get　here。　It　wasn't　fair　to　you　to　lose　it　all　just　because　of　one　mistake。〃　The　President　paused　a