wt.theyearofthequietsun-第15节

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humans　into　tomorrow　and　those　humans　were　expected　to　do　more　than　merely　look　through　the　nose　at　a　clock。　（But　it　had　also　killed　nine　men　when　it　doubled　back　on　itself。）　Despite　an　effort　to　control　it；　his　skin　crawled。　The　cold　shock　would　not　leave　him。
　　Chaney　said　shortly：　〃You　picked　a　hell　of　a　crew。〃
　　〃Why　do　you　think　so？〃
　　〃Not　an　engineer　in　the　lot…not　a　hard　scientist　in　the　lot。　Moresby　and　I　love　each　other　like　a　cobra　and　a　mongoose。　I　think　I'm　the　mongoose。　Want　to　try　again？〃
　　〃I　know　what　I'm　doing；　Chaney。　The　engineers　and　the　physical　scientists　will　e　later；　when　the　probes　demand　engineers　and　physical　scientists。　When　did　the　first　geologist　reach　the　moon？　The　first　selenographer？　This　survey　demands　your　kind　of　man；　and　Moresby；　and　Saltus。　You　and　Moresby　were　chosen　because　each　of　you　is　supreme　in　your　field；　and　because　you　are　natural　opposites。　I　like　to　think　the　pair　of　you　are　delicate　balances；　with　Saltus　the　neutral　weight　in　center。　And　I　say　again；　I　know　what　I　am　doing。〃
　　〃Moresby　thinks　I'm　some　kind　of　a　nut。〃
　　〃Yes。　And　what　do　you　think　of　him？〃
　　Sudden　glee：　〃He's　some　kind　of　a　nut。〃
　　Seabrooke　permitted　himself　a　wintry　smile。　〃Forgive　me；　but　there　is　a　measure　of　truth　to　both　suppositions。　The　Major　also　has　a　hobby　which　has　embarrassed　him。〃
　　Chaney　groaned　aloud。　〃Those　damned　prophets！〃　He　looked　around　at　the　Major。　〃Why　doesn't　he　collect　toy　soldiers；　or　be　the　best　chess　player　in　the　world？〃
　　〃Why　don't　you　write　cookbooks？〃
　　Chaney　glanced　down　at　his　chest。　〃See　how　neatly　the　blade　entered　between　the　ribs？　Notice　that　the　haft　stands　out　straight　and　true？　A　marksman's　thrust。〃
　　Seabrooke　said：　〃You　like　to　read　the　past；　while　the　Major　prefers　to　read　the　future。　I　will　admit　yours　is　the　more　valuable　vocation。〃
　　〃Another　futurist。　You　collect　futurists。〃
　　〃He　places　an　inordinate　faith　in　prognostication。　He　begins　with　so　simple　an　act　as　reading　his　horoscope　in　the　daily　papers；　and　conducting　himself　accordingly。　After　his　arrival　here　he　admitted　to　Kathryn　the　mission　was　no　surprise　to　him；　because　a　certain　horoscope　had　advised　him　to　prepare　himself　for　a　momentous　change　in　his　daily　affairs。〃
　　Chaney　said：　〃That　is　as　old　as　time；　the　earliest　Egyptians；　the　Sumerians；　the　Akkadians；　all　were　crazy　about　astrology。　It's　the　most　enduring　religion。〃
　　〃I　suppose　you　are　familiar　with　the　small　booklets　known　as　farmer's　almanacs？〃
　　A　nod。　〃I　know　of　them。〃
　　〃Moresby　buys　them　regularly；　not　only　to　learn　how　their　minute　prophecies　may　affect　him　but　to　anticipate　the　weather　a　year　in　advance。　I　will　admit　I　have　looked　into　that　last；　and　the　Major　has　a　remarkable　record　of　correlating　military　operations　with　weather　conditions…when　he's　stationed　in　the　United　States；　you　understand。　One　would　suppose　the　weather　works　for　him。　And　on　some　previous　military　posts；　he　has　been　known　to　plant　a　garden　in　strict　accordance　with　the　guidelines　laid　down　in　those　almanacs…phases　of　the　moon　and　so　forth。〃
　　Skeptically：　〃Did　the　spinach　e　up？〃
　　The　firm　lips　twitched　and　toyed　with　a　smile；　then　controlled　themselves。　〃Finally；　there　is　his　library。　Moresby　owns　a　small　collection　of　books；　perhaps　forty　or　fifty　in　all；　which　he　moves　with　him　from　post　to　post。　Books　by　such　people　as　Nostradamus；　Shipton；　Blavatsky；　Forman；　and　that　Cromwell　woman　in　Washington。　He　has　an　autographed　copy　by　someone　named　Guinness；　he　met　the　author　at　some　lecture　or　other。　I　inquired　into　that　because　of　the　security　angle　but　Guinness　proved　harmless。　Just　recently　he　added　your　volume　to　the　collection。〃
　　Chaney　said：　〃He　wasted　his　money。〃
　　〃Do　you　also　believe　I've　wasted　mine？〃
　　〃If　you　were　looking　for　prophetic　visions；　yes。　If　you　were　interested　in　a　biblical　curiosity；　no。　The　future　should　bring　some　great　debates　on　that　Revelations　scroll；　a　dozen　or　so　applecarts　have　been　upset。〃
　　Seabrooke　peered　at　him。　〃But　do　you　see　how　I'm　using　Moresby？〃
　　〃Yes。　Just　as　you're　using　me。〃
　　〃Quite　so。　I　like　to　think　I've　assembled　the　best　possible　team　for　the　most　important　undertaking　of　the　twentieth　century。　There　are　no　real　and　solid　guidelines　to　the　future；　there　are　only　speculative　studies　and　pseudo…speculative　literature。　We're　making　use　of　both；　and　making　use　of　trustworthy　men　who　are　actively　involved　in　both。　One　or　both　of　you　will　have　a　solid　foot　on　the　ground　when　you　surface　twenty…two　years　hence。　What　more　can　we　do；　Chaney？〃
　　〃You've　taken　hold　of　a　wolf　by　the　ears。　You　might　look　around　for　a　way　to　let　go…an　escape　route。〃
　　A　moment　of　thoughtful　silence。　〃A　wolf　by　the　ears。　Yes；　I　have　done　that。　But　Chaney；　I　have　no　desire　to　let　go；　I　am　fascinated　by　this　thing；　I　will　not　let　go。　This　step　is　parable　to　the　very　first　rocket　into　space；　the　very　first　orbital　flight；　the　very　first　man　on　the　moon。　I　could　not　let　go　if　I　wanted　to！〃
　　Chaney　was　impressed　by　the　vehemence；　the　passionate　eagerness。　〃Why　don't　you　go　up　to　the　future？〃
　　Seabrooke　said　quietly：　〃I　tried。　I　volunteered；　but　I　was　pushed　aside。〃　His　voice　betrayed　the　hurt。　〃I　was　washed　out　in　the　first　physical　examination　by　a　heart　murmur。　Once　again　this　is　parable　to　space　flight；　Chaney。　Old　men；　disabled　men；　feeble　men　will　never　know　the　TDV。　We　have　been　shut　out。〃
　　The　man's　gaze　wandered　back　to　Katrina；　and　Chaney　joined　him　in　the　watchfulness。　Her　skimpy　suit　was　beginning　to　dry　under　the　June　sun　and　some　of　the　more　interesting　rubs　and　contours　were　smoothing　out；　losing　the　revealing　contours　beneath。　Beside　her；　skin　touching　skin；　Arthur　Saltus　monopolized　her　attention。
　　Chaney　felt　that　he　had　been　shut　out。
　　
　　
　　After　a　while　he　asked　a　question　that　had　been　playing　in　the　back　of　his　mind。
　　〃Katrina　said　you　had　a　couple　of　alternatives　in　mind；　if　this　future　probe　didn't　work。　What　alternates？〃　And　he　waited　to　see　if　the　woman　had　reported　a　breakfast　table　conversation　to　the　Director。
　　〃A　confidence；　Chaney？〃
　　〃Certainly。〃
　　〃I　know　the　President　a　bit　better　than　you　do。〃
　　〃I'll　grant　you　that。〃
　　〃I　know　what　he　will　not　buy。〃
　　Chaney　had　a　premonition。　〃He　won't　buy　your　alternatives？　Either　of　them？〃
　　〃Buy　them？　He　will　be　outraged　by　them。　Shock　waves　will　be　felt　all　this　distance　from　Washington。〃　Seabrooke　hit　the　table　and　his　empty　glass　was　upset。　〃I　wanted　to　visit　the　future；　see　the　future；　smell　the　future；　but　I　was　rejected　the　first　day　by　the　medics；　I　was　shipwrecked　before　I　got　aboard　and　that　hurt　me　more　than　I　can　say。　The　only　other　way　left　to　me；　Chaney；　was　to　see　that　future　through　your　eyes…your　camera；　your　tapes；　your　observations　and　reactions。　I　can　live　in　it　through　you　and　Moresby　and　Saltus；　and　I　am　determined　to　do　that！　There　is　nothing　else　left　to　me。
　　〃To　that　end；　I　prepared　two　alternatives　to　submit　to　the　President。　I　made　sure　each　of　the　alternate　probes　would　be　unacceptable　to　him；　and　he　would　direct　me　to　proceed　with　the　original　plan。　I　want　the　future！〃
　　Chaney　asked：　〃Outrageous？〃
　　A　short　nod。　〃The　President　is　a　religious　man；　he　practices　his　faith。　He　will　never　permit　a　probe　to　the　scene　of　the　Crucifixion　with　film　and　tape。〃
　　〃No…he　won't　do　that。〃　Chaney　considered　it。　〃But　because　of　political　consequences；　not…　religious　ones。　He's　afraid　of　the　people　and　afraid　of　the　politicians。〃
　　〃If　that　be　true；　the　second　alternative　would　be　more　frightening。〃
　　Warily：　〃Where…or　what？〃
　　〃The　second　alternative　is　Dallas　in　November；　1963。　I　propose　to　record　the　Kennedy　assassination　in　a　way　not　done　before。　I　propose　to　station　a　cameraman　on　the　sixth　floor　of　that　book　depository；　overlooking　the　route；　I　propose　to　station　a　second　cameraman　in　that　grove　atop　the　knoll；　to　settle　a　controversy；　I　propose　to　station　a　third　cameraman…you…on　the　curb　alongside　the　Kennedy　car；　at　the　precise　point　necessary　to　record　the　shots　from　the　window　or　the　trees。　We　will　have　an　accurate　filmed　record　of　the　crime；　Chaney。〃
　　
　　
　　SEVEN
　　
　　The　TDV　was　a　keen　disappointment。
　　Brian　Chaney　knew　dismay；　disillusionment。　Perhaps　he　had　expected　too　much；　perhaps　he　had　expected　a　sleek　machine　gleaming　with　chrome　and　enamel　and　glass；　still　new　from　an　assembly　line；　or　perhaps　he　had　expected　a　mechanical　movie　monster；　a　bulging　leviathan　sprouting　cables　like　writhing　tentacles　and　threatening　to　sink　through　the　floor　of　its　own　massive　weight。　Perhaps　he　had　let　his　imagination　run　away　with　him。
　　The　vehicle　was　none　of　those　things。　It　was　a　squat；　half…ugly　can　with　the　numeral　2　chalked　on　the　side。　It　was　unromantic。　It　was　strictly　functional。
　　The　TDV　resembled　nothing　more　than　an　oversized　oil　drum　hand…fashioned　from　scrap　aluminum　and　pieces　of　old　plastic…materials　salvaged　from　a　scrap　pile　for　this　one　job。　Chaney　thought　of　a　Model…T　Ford　he'd　seen　in　a　museum；　and　a　rickety　biplane　seen　in　another；　the　two　relics　didn't　seem　capable　of　moving　an　inch。　The　TDV　was　a　plastic　and　aluminum　bucket　resting　in　a　concrete　tank　filled　wi