jdavid.footprintsofthunder-第9节

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　〃The　biblical　plagues　are　too　easy。　Locusts　and　flies　also　came　out　of　nowhere。　Too　easy！　How　about　the　hail　of　hot　stones　as　recorded　in　the　Mexican　Annals　of　Cuauhtitlan？〃
　〃Could　have　been　meteorites；〃　Dr。　Coombs　countered。
　〃Nonsense。　Thousands　of　hot　stones　falling　like　hail　and　bouncing　around　setting　things　on　fire？　Meteorites　burn　up　in　the　atmosphere　more　often　than　not；　and　even　if　they　reach　the　ground　they　most　assuredly　don't　fall　in　groups　like　hail。　Your　turn；　George。〃
　〃Manna　from　heaven；〃　Coombs　suggested；　then　leaned　forward　and　spoke　to　the　group。　〃Manna　was　described　by　the　Israelites　as　a　yellowish　seed　that　tasted　like　oily　honeyb。　Most　likely　it　was　the　seed　of　a　plant；　but　no　one　has　been　able　to　explain　why　it　fell　from　the　sky。　e　to　think　of　it　there's　no　reason　it　couldn't　have　been　corn。〃
　Dr。　Coombs　turned；　his　pale　eyes　gleaming　in　his　well…tanned　face；　looking　straight　at　Kenny　and　disconcerting　him。　〃They　did　grind　it　and　bake　bread　with　it　just　like　corn；〃　Coombs　added。　〃And　they　certainly　wouldn't　have　seen　corn　before。〃
　〃Not　bad；〃　Dr。　Piltcher　said。　〃You're　still　pulling　from　the　Bible　and　the　Talmud；　but　it's　creative。　Let　me　take　ambrosia　from　you。　Homer　and　Hesiod　both　refer　to　honey　from　heaven。〃
　〃The　hymns　of　Rig…Veda　refer　to　madhu　falling　from　clouds。〃
　Dr。　Piltcher　cleared　his　throat　derisively。　〃That's　just　another　name　for　ambrosia。〃
　〃Maybe。　But　if　you　won't　give　me　credit　for　it　I'll　take　the　red　dust　that　fell　on　the　Mayas。〃
　〃Let's　stretch　this　a　bit。　Kenny　said　something　about　fish　falling　from　the　sky。　What　if　bigger　things　fell？　What　about　that；　George？　Suggest　anything　to　you？〃　Dr。　Piltcher　paused　and　turned　to　the　rest　of　the　group。　〃Remember　back　to　our　debate　over　the　presence　of　hippos　in　Europe。〃　Dr。　Piltchei　looked　first　at　Petra　and　then　Mrs。　Wayne。　〃Is　there　anothei　way　the　hippopotami　could　get　to　England？〃
　Mrs。　Wayne　cleared　her　throat　and　then　suggested　in　a　high…pitched　voice；　〃They　fell　from　the　sky？〃
　〃Possibly。　Possibly。　If　corn　can　fall；　if　fish　can　fall；　why　not　a　hippo？〃
　Kenny　was　surprised。　Dr。　Piltcher　was　now　willing　to　abandon　the　cosmic　cataclysm　theory　he'd　espoused　only　an　hour　earlier；　a　thesis　that　had　cost　him　much　time　and　effort。　Kenny　had　always　agreed　that　new　theories　were　accepted　only　when　those　defending　the　old　theories　died　off。　But　Dr。　Piltchei　showed　surprising　flexibility　for　a　scientist。
　Dr。　Coombs　rocked　forward　again；　stretching　out　his　feet　and　knocking　over　a　pile　of　books。　〃It　might　explain　some　othei　mysteries。　Did　you　know　they　found　the　skeletons　of　two　whales　in　Michigan？　Michigan！　Awfully　far　from　the　sea；　wouldn't　you　say？〃　Dr。　Coombs　said　to　the　group　while　looking　mostly　at　Kenny。　Not　to　be　outdone；　Dr。　Piltcher　added　to　the　whale　stories。
　〃Found　a　whale　skeleton　in　Quebec　too。　Six　hundred　feet　above　sea　level。　Oh；　now　that　I　think　about　it；　they've　found　whales；　hippopotami；　rhinoceroses；　and　elephants　in　the　most　unlikely　places。　Even　in　Antarctica。　Not　to　mention　the　coniferous　trees　found　in　both　the　arctic　and　antarctic…〃
　〃And；　of　course；　the　most　famous　of　all；〃　Dr。　Coombs　cut　in；　〃the　leopard　on　Mount　Kilimanjaro。〃
　〃George；　what's　the　name　of　that　Babylonian　prophet；　the　one　who　was　stoned　for　knowing　too　much？〃
　〃Zorastrus；　I　believe。〃
　〃Yes；　yes。　Quite　brilliant；　he　collected　events　like　Kenny　has　been　describing　too。　No　one　believed　him　either；　of　course。〃
　Dr。　Coombs　rubbed　his　chin　with　his　hand　and　looked　concerned　for　a　minute　and　then　said；　〃This　Zorastrus　might　be　worth　looking　up；　I　seem　to　remember　he　had　quite　a　lot　to　say　about　the　future。〃
　〃Something　to　pursue　later；　eh　George？　But　you　do　see　what　I'm　getting　at；〃　Dr。　Piltcher　mused。　〃Until　tonight；　finding　animals　in　unlikely　locations　was　explained　either　through　migration；　which　is　highly　unlikely；　or　cataclysm；　like　the　shifting　of　the　earth　on　its　axis；　which　is　also　unlikely。　Having　them　fall　from　the　sky　is　beautiful　in　its　simplicity。　But　the　sky…fall　theory　lacks　a　cause　。　。　。　a　source　for　the　effect。〃
　Dr。　Piltcher　paused　and　turned　to　Kenny；　the　others　in　the　group　all　did　too。　Now　more　fortable　he　told　them　about　the　flower　fall；　and　the　mother　and　the　daughter；　and　his　theory。　As　he　spoke　he　watched　their　faces　light　up。　They　began　to　add　to　it。　They　brainstormed。　And　the　theory　began　to　grow。
　
　Kenny　became　part　of　the　group　that　night。　He　knew　other　people　would　call　the　members　of　that　group　kooks；　or　weirdos；　and　Kenny　would　have　too　a　few　months　ago。　But　he　saw　things　from　the　inside　now。　It　was　an　odd　group　of　people；　but　receptive　and　even　warm。
　After　that　Kenny　spent　every　Saturday　night　with　the　group。　He　got　to　know　Mrs。　Wayne　and　witnessed　her　contacts　with　Shontel；　the　spirit　guide。　He　became　friends　with　Petra。　He　met　others　too。　An　elderly　couple　who　ran　a　local　convenience　store　alternated　ing　on　Saturday　nights。　They　only　listened；　though；　and　never　participated。　Others；　like　Bonnie　Smith；　came　occasionally　but　were　never　part　of　the　core。　Bonnie　showed　up　one　night　with　another　student；　Colter　Swenson；　who　listened　attentively　but　kept　glancing　at　Petra。　The　next　Saturday　Colter　showed　up　without　Bonnie　and　sat　by　Petra。　Colter　became　a　regular　after　that。　There　were　others　who　came　occasionally　but　were　never　part　of　the　core。
　Two　weeks　later　Dr。　Coombs　arrived　at　the　meeting　all　excited。　He　had　managed　to　track　down　a　translation　of　some　of　the　writings　of　Zorastrus。　He　did　indeed　live　in　ancient　Babylon　and　was　called　a　prophet　right　up　until　they　stoned　him　to　death。　Dr。　Coombs　was　particularly　excited　by　the　discovery　of；　something　called　the　Apocrypha　of　Zorastrus。　Some　scholar　had　separated　out　Zorastrus's　collection　of　stories　of　things　falling　from　the　sky　and　other　bizarre　phenomenon　from　his　〃serious〃　works。　Confirming　Kenny's　corn　fall　in　an　ancient　document　was　reassuring　to　Kenny。　They　also　found　Zorastrus　had　his　own　theory；　a　theory　disconcertingly　similar　to　Kenny's。
　With　the　discovery　of　the　Apocrypha　of　Zorastrus　the　group　began　to　meet　more　often。　Now　the　group　spent　Saturday　nights　trying　to　understand　the　events　Kenny　had　researched　and　those　in　the　Zorastrus　manuscript。　They　considered　other　theories　besides　Kenny's　and　that　of　Zorastrus；　including　those　contributed　by　Shontel；　but　always　returned　to　Kenny's　explanation。
　Phat　Nyang　showed　up　one　night；　recruited　by　Dr。　Piltcher　to　work　with　Kenny　on　puter　modeling　the　theory。　Kenny　and　Phat　worked　out　a　crude　puter　model　suggesting　possible　causes。　The　group　critiqued　it；　and　the　model　was　refined；　again　and　again。　As　summer　approached　they　made　plans　to　utilize　the　model。　Dr。　Coombs　offered　to　provide　financial　support　for　the　summer　project。
　
　Kenny　now　found　himself　walking　around　the　geyser　basin　at　Old　Faithful　for　the　tenth　time。　It　was　more　than　a　mile　out　to　Morning　Glory　Pool；　and　he　could　make　the　circuit　and　be　back　before　his　pickup　time。　It　was　the　third　day　of　the　eight…day　watch；　and　he　had　walked　to　the　pool　four　times　a　day；　looking　at　the　skies　and　meadows　surrounding　the　geysers。　A　small　herd　of　elk　were　grazing　near　Castle　Geyser　and　Kenny　paused　to　watch　them　before　continuing　to　Morning　Glory　Pool。
　That　had　been　a　disappointment　to　Kenny。　It　was　only　pale　blue；　not　the　bright　blue…green　of　the　pictures　on　the　postcards。　His　trail　guide　explained　tons　of　coins　thrown　by　tourists　had　changed　the　temperature　of　the　pool；　causing　the　colors　to　fade。　The　trail　guide　referred　to　the　penny…tossing　tourists　as　vandals。　Kenny　felt　disgust　and　loss。
　Kenny　started　up　the　boardwalk　to　the　viewpoint。　Ahead　of　him　he　heard　loud　laughter　and　looked　to　see　two　well…muscled　men　about　his　own　age　leaning　over　the　steaming　water。　As　he　approached　one　of　them　spat　a　big　wad　of　gum　into　the　center　of　the　pool。　The　other　one　laughed　uproariously　and　then　flipped　a　coin　in　after　the　gum。　Kenny's　temper　flared　as　the　man　prepared　to　flip　another。　Grabbing　the　hand　with　the　coins；　Kenny　slapped　it　down　onto　the　wooden　railing。　Money　clattered　onto　the　boardwalk　and　the　man　yelped　from　pain。
　〃Whatcha　doing；　man？〃　he　yelled。
　Now　the　other　one　stepped　forward；　his　face　contorted　in　menace。
　〃You'll　ruin　the　pool　doing　that。〃　Kenny　explained。　〃I　didn't　mean　to　hurt　him；　but　really；　that　will　change　the　color　of　the　pool。　Maybe　plug　it　up。〃
　〃That's　our　business；〃　the　big　one　responded；　and　punched　Kenny　in　the　solar　plexus。　Kenny's　breath　exploded　from　his　body　and　he　bent　in　half。　Then　he　felt　his　head　jerked　up　by　the　hair　and　he　found　himself　staring　in　the　angry　face　of　the　man。　〃You　got　something　to　say；　you　say　it　to　me；　not　my　friend。　You　understand？〃
　With　that　Kenny's　head　was　slammed　down　into　the　railing。　Kenny　put　his　hands　on　the　rail；　protecting　his　face　from　the　second　blow。
　〃Stay　out　of　our　way！〃　the　man　yelled　and　then　slapped　Kenny's　head。
　Kenny　leaned　on　the　rail；　smarting　from　the　slap　and　gasping　for　breath；　and　watched　the　two　men　walk　down　the　boardwalk　and　out　of　sight。　A　family　with　two　kids　came　down　the　walk　and　Kenny　turned　toward　the　geyser；　trying　to　hide　his　face。　A　few　seconds　later　he　felt　a　touch　on　his　arm　and　turned　to　see　the　mother