jdavid.footprintsofthunder-第77部分

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　Emmett　assured　him　he　did。
　〃And　have　you　thought　of　verifying　your　theory？〃　Emmett　had　confessed　inadequate　math　skills；　but　Dr。　Paulson　had　something　much　simpler　in　mind。　Emmett　quickly　agreed　with　the　idea；　after　all；　he　was　a　player　now。
　Emmett　had　feared　he　wouldn't　be　able　to　break　Carrollee　away　from　her　incubating　eggs；　but　it　had　been　easy。　Nearly　an　army　of　volunteers　was　protecting　the　site　now；　and　nothing　exciting　would　happen　until　the　eggs　hatched。　Emmett　explained　the　purpose　of　the　trip　vaguely　and　then　emphasized　it　would　take　only　a　few　hours。　Carrollee　quickly　agreed　to　e　along　and　even　seemed　eager　to　spend　more　time　with　Emmett；　who　was　surprised　and　glad。
　
　The　interisland　flights　were　operating；　so　they　flew　from　Oahu　to　Hawaii。　They　left　their　lightweight　tropical　clothes　in　an　airport　locker　in　exchange　for　the　heavier　clothes　the　cooler　climate　demanded。　Carrollee　came　out　of　the　airport　rest　room　wearing　the　least　outlandish　thing　Emmett　had　ever　seen　her　wear；　but　it　was　still　gaudy。　Her　Levi's　were　held　up　with　bright　red　suspenders　and　she　wore　a　long…sleeve　red　blouse　and　carried　a　red　checked　sweater。　On　her　feet　were　hiking　boots　with　red　socks　folded　neatly　over　the　tops；　and　her　bright　red　lipstick　matched　her　sweater　and　blouse。　Emmett　had　chosen　Levi's　too；　and　a　University　of　Hawaii　T…shirt。　He　carried　a　matching　hooded　sweatshirt。　He　wasn't　a　hiker　though　and　was　wearing　his　Nikes　instead　of　boots。
　He　was　about　to　pliment　Carrollee　on　being　circumspect　when　she　pulled　a　giant　red　and　white　checked　bow　out　of　her　bag　and　clipped　it　to　the　back　of　her　head。
　〃Did　that　outfit　e　with　a　red　rubber　nose？〃　he　asked。
　Carrollee　let　a　smile　flit　across　her　lips；　then　feigned　confusion。　。
　〃What　did　you　say　about　ing　with　a　rubber？〃　She　said　extra　loudly；　turning　heads　at　the　airport。
　Emmett　blushed；　opened　his　mouth　to　speak；　then　changed　his　mind。　He　wouldn't　get　the　better　of　Carrollee。
　
　
　Their　conversation　in　the　car　alternated　between　somber　and　silly　but　avoided　the　issue　of　the　time　quilt。　They　discussed　the　plesiosaur　and　the　unusual　seaweeds；　but　Emmett　held　back　what　he　knew　about　other　dinosaurs　from　the　PresNet。　Then　they　discussed　who　would　succeed　Dr。　Wang　as　department　chair；　and　who　might　be　recruited　to　replace　the　missing　faculty。　They　recognized　that　issues　of　hiring；　tenure；　and　promotion　were　part　of　the　old　world；　but　they　refused　to　acknowledge　the　new　order。
　As　they　climbed　the　extinct　volcano　Mauna　Kea；　the　air　cooled　and　Emmett　soon　turned　on　the　seldom…used　car　heater。　Mauna　Kea　towered　over　Hawaii；　the　peak　reaching　14；000　feet　above　sea　level。　At　half　the　height　of　Mount　Everest　it　was　a　nearly　ideal　location　for　the　university　to　build　an　observatory。　Several　instruments　sponsored　by　a　variety　of　nations　now　speckled　the　lunarlike　landscape　that　made　up　the　peak。　Emmett　and　Carrollee's　destination　was　the　Canada…France…Hawaii　telescope；　but　any　other　optical　instrument　would　serve　their　purpose。
　The　wind　picked　up　as　they　climbed　above　the　last　of　the　vegetation　into　the　broken　lava　fields　that　made　up　the　mountain's　dome。　The　car　was　warm　enough；　but　outside　it　was　cold　enough　to　snow；　and　indeed　frost　speckled　the　ground。　Emmett　knew　blizzards　were　frequent　here　in　winter；　and　that　somewhere　in　a　maintenance　shed　was　the　only　snowplow　in　the　islands。　Even　in　the　controlled　climate　of　the　car　they　began　to　feel　the　effects　of　the　elevation　and　cold。　The　dry　air　made　them　lick　their　lips　frequently。
　〃I've　heard　the　air's　so　dry　up　here；　they　have　trouble　with　the　electronics。　Sometimes　they　boil　pans　of　water　to　keep　things　working。〃
　Carrollee　nodded　her　head。
　〃When　do　we　break　out　the　oxygen　masks？〃　she　asked。
　〃They　fall　down　from　the　ceiling　in　an　emergency。　Seriously；　are　you　feeling　all　right？　It's　getting　pretty　thin。　We're　two　miles　above　sea　level。〃
　〃I'm　okay。　I　was　just　thinking　about　one　time　we　went　skiing　in　Colorado。　It　took　some　time　to　get　used　to　the　altitude。　I　would　get　sick　if　I　exercised　too　much。〃
　〃Yeah；　altitude　sickness。　We　shouldn't　have　a　problem　though；　I　don't　plan　on　skiing；　or　even　walking　much。　Just　watching　them　take　the　pictures　and　then　getting　off　this　frigid　rock。〃
　〃With　Bree…geet　up　here　I　bet　it's　not　frigid。〃
　Emmett　felt　the　prick。
　〃Some　of　those　who　work　up　here　have　trouble　adjusting。　The　air　is　dry　and　oxygen　poor。　Thinking　can　be　affected。　A　problem　you　might　solve　in　fifteen　minutes　at　the　university　can　take　an　hour　up　here。　But　if　you　are　going　to　build　an　observatory　this　is　one　of　the　best　places　in　the　world　to　do　it。〃
　Emmett　leaned　toward　the　windshield　and　looked　up　at　the　sky。　Carrollee　did　likewise；　and　they　both　found　themselves　lost　in　the　speckled　black　ink。　After　a　few　minutes　she　turned　to　Emmett。
　〃We'll　be　there　soon。　Don't　you　think　it's　time　to　tell　me　what's　going　on？　You　didn't　seem　all　that　surprised　by　what　we　found　on　the　beach。　I　know　I'm　not　security　cleared　or　anything；　but　neither　are　you。　After　all；　I'm　a　coconspirator　in　whatever　it　is　we're　doing。〃
　Emmett　had　no　real　reason　not　to　tell　her　everything　he　knew。　The　reports　on　the　news　were　filling　in　enough　pieces　of　the　puzzle　to　make　it　obvious　to　anyone。　He　worried　briefly　about　the　legal　implications　but　suspected　there　were　enough　problems　in　the　world　now　to　keep　even　the　most　officious　bureaucrat　busy　and　away　from　Carrollee。　So；　he　told　her。　She　knew　of　the　various　floods；　fires；　avalanches；　tidal　waves；　and　blackouts；　and　she　had　her　own　experience　with　the　plesiosaur；　but　like　most　of　the　public；　she　had　no　idea　how　widespread　these　events　were。　When　he　finished　explaining；　Emmett　found　Carrollee　wasn't　frightened　by　the　idea　of　dinosaurs。　Instead　she　seemed　tickled。
　〃Imagine；〃　Carrollee　said；　〃Tyrannosaurus　rex　roaming　the　earth　again。　How　would　you　contain　something　like　that？　Electric　wire　three　stories　tall？　Trenches？　Fire？　Oh；　man…oh…man　wait　until　my　brother；　Richard；　hears　about　this。　He's　going　to　want　a　hunting　license。　Of　course　he'd　need　a　trophy　room　the　size　of　a　barn　to　put　the　head　on　the　wall。〃
　After　fifteen　minutes　she　came　to　the　fundamental　questions。
　〃Why　did　this　happen？　Is　it　over？　Will　it　happen　again？　Where　did　the　people　go　who　were　where　the　dinosaurs　are　now？〃
　Puglisi　explained　as　best　he　could　about　the　effect　of　dense　matter；　the　time　waves　and　the　displacement。　He　told　her　about　the　various　theories　and　the　extension　he　made　in　the　Gomez　model　and　how　it　might　affect　the　moon。　When　he　reported　his　contact　with　Dr。　Paulson；　Carrollee　looked　at　him　skeptically　but　seemed　to　realize　that　was　no　more　impossible　than　dinosaurs　showing　up　in　the　modern　age。
　〃So　what　are　you　looking　for　up　here？〃　she　asked。
　〃Support　for　the　theory。　Evidence　that　the　effect　on　the　moon　is　reversed。　Any　data　that　can　help　fill　in　the　picture。　Dr。　Paulson　seemed　particularly　interested　in　the　data。　He　didn't　say　getting　it　was　urgent；　but　he　put　some　time　into　arranging　it；　time　he　could　have　used　for　any　number　of　tasks。　So　if　it's　important　to　him；　it's　important　enough　for　me　to　climb　this　ugly　Popsicle　to　get　it。〃
　Carrollee；　silent；　slipped　into　one　of　her　rare　pensive　moods。　After　a　few　minutes　Emmett　missed　her　conversation。
　〃What　are　you　thinking；　Carrollee？〃
　Carrollee　shook　herself　out　of　her　mood　and　sat　straight　up　in　her　seat。
　〃I'm　　thinking　about　my　family　on　　the　mainland…my　mother　and　my　sister。　I　haven't　been　able　to　reach　them；　but　I　know　there　have　been　telephone　problems。　I　figured　they　were　probably　safe。　Now　I'm　thinking　they　may　not　be　there　at　all。　Not　dead；　just　gone。　Gone　somewhere　in　time。　Is　that　what　you're　saying？　It　makes　me　wonder　if　it　could　happen　again？　If　it　did；　I　wouldn't　want　to　be　sent　off　to　the　future　by　myself。　So；　I　guess　I　should　stick　pretty　close　to　someone　I　would　want　to　disappear　with。〃
　〃I　don't　think　it　will　happen　again；　not　if　we　don't　start　nuclear　testing　again。〃
　But　Emmett　began　thinking　of　people　he　would　want　to　be　near　if　he　were　displaced。　He　didn't　have　any　immediate　family；　only　an　uncle　in　Iowa。　After　considering　and　discarding　several　names；　he　realized　he　was　sitting　with　the　only　person　who　had　a　certain　spot　on　the　list。
　The　switchbacks　became　sharper　and　more　irregular；　telling　them　they　were　near　the　summit。　The　landscape　was　a　monotony　of　frosted；　cracked；　black　lava。　The　winds　continued　to　pick　up；　blowing　white　granular　material　across　the　road。
　〃Is　that　snow？〃　Carrollee　asked。　〃Incredible。　Snow　in　the　tropics。　I　knew　it　was　up　here　of　course；　but　I　guess　I　never　really　believed　it。〃
　The　summit　appeared　suddenly。　The　flat　of　the　barren　lava　dome　was　sprinkled　with　the　high　technology　toys　of　civilization。　Half　a　dozen　observatory　domes　were　spaced　across　the　peak；　most　perched　on　square　bases　that　housed　support　facilities。　Other　support　buildings　were　situated　nearby。　It　gave　an　altogether　eerie　effect；　as　if　time　displacement　had　shifted　the　trappings　of　a　high…tech　civilization　to　the　cooling　lava　of　the　ancient　earth。　Each　of　the　domes　they　could　see　had　a　four…wheel…drive　vehicle　or　two　parked　at　it；　but　Emmett　was　unsure　of　where　Bridgette　might　be。　Four　c