jak.themothmanprophecies-第53部分

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d　for　wasting　the　taxpayers'　money　。。。　and　for　putting　this　type　of　installation　in　a　populated　area。）
　　
　　Meanwhile　the　Public　Broadcasting　Laboratories　was　having　second　thoughts　about　Dan　Drasin's　UFO　special。　After　nearly　a　year　of　work；　and　several　trips　to　UFO　flap　areas；　the　program　was　suddenly　canceled。　History　repeated　itself　in　1973　when　Fred　Freed；　an　award…winning　producer；　began　work　on　a　white　paper　documentary　for　NBC　News。　Ralph　Blum　and　a　team　of　technicians　were　in　Mississippi　interviewing　Hickson　and　Parker　when　they　suddenly　received　word　that　the　program　was　being　canceled　because　NBC　needed　the　money　and　personnel　to　cover　the　Arab…Israeli　War。
　　
　　I　had　other　problems。　I　was　going　through　one　of　my　broke　periods　and　owed　the　staggering　sum　of　four　hundred　dollars　in　back　taxes。　The　IRS　sent　a　representative　around　to　see　me　every　single　week。　Once；　two　different　IRS　men　turned　up　in　the　same　week。　（They　were　not　MIB　。。。　but　were　definitely　from　the　IRS。）　One　seedy　little　character　was　so　obnoxious　and　insulting　that　I　actually　grabbed　him　by　the　collar　and　physically　threw　him　out　of　the　apartment。　Another　let　slip　a　remark　about　a　movie　deal　I　was　working　on　（it　eventually　fell　through）　which　no　one；　not　even　my　friends；　knew　about。　The　only　way　he　could　have　known　about　it　was　through　listening　to　my　telephone　conversations。
　　
　　Was　the　IRS　tapping　my　phone　for　a　lousy　four　hundred　dollars？　Was　I　on　somebody's　〃Enemies〃　list？
　　
　　I　was　plaining　to　the　telephone　pany　about　my　many　crank　calls　and　telephone　interference；　so　I　asked　them　to　run　a　check　and　see　if　my　phone　Was　being　tapped。　A　few　days　later　my　friendly　telephone　representative　called　me　back。
　　
　　〃You　were　right；　Mr。　Keel；〃　she　said。　〃Somebody　is　definitely　tapped　into　your　phone。〃
　　
　　I　switched　on　my　tape　recorder　and　asked　her　to　repeat　the　statement；　which　she　did。　Then　I　asked　her　to　put　it　in　writing；　but　she　hedged　there。
　　
　　〃Do　you　have　any　idea　who's　tapping　it？〃　I　asked。
　　
　　〃We　can't　tell　that。　All　we　know　is　there's　a　drop　in　the　voltage　that　indicates　that　someone　is　hooked　up　to　it。〃
　　
　　She　promised　to　turn　the　matter　over　to　a　〃Special　Agent〃　for　investigation。　Nothing　ever　came　of　that；　either。
　　
　　When　I　woke　up　on　July　3；　1967；　my　line　was　dead。　I　went　down　to　the　basement　of　my　apartment　building　to　call　the　phone　pany　on　a　pay　phone。　As　I　walked　along　the　basement　corridor　I　saw　the　door　to　the　telephone　room；　which　was　normally　locked；　was　wide　open　and　a　man　in　coveralls　was　there　surrounded　by　the　jumble　of　wires　from　the　hundreds　of　phones　in　the　building。　I　told　him　my　phone　was　dead　and　he　only　shrugged。
　　
　　〃You'll　have　to　call　the　main　office；〃　was　his　not　very　helpful　advice。
　　
　　My　service　did　not　resume　for　another　twenty…four　hours。
　　
　　Although　all　my　contactee　calls　were　ining；　my　phone　bills　started　to　skyrocket　that　summer。　I　was　out　of　the　city　and　away　from　my　phone　for　two　or　three　weeks　at　a　time；　but　when　I　returned　I　would　find　a　phone　bill　for　150…200　waiting。
　　
　　And　that　was　just　the　beginning。
　　
　　III
　　
　　A　reporter　on　the　Daily　American　in　West　Frankfort；　Illinois；　picked　up　his　phone　on　February　16；　1967；　and　heard　a　weird　echo　chamber　voice　which　instructed　him　to　be　at　a　certain　pond　at　3：15　A。M。　the　following　Sunday。　The　reporter　motioned　to　his　co…workers　and　they　picked　up　extensions　to　listen　in。　The　voice　immediately　said；　〃'Tell　them　to　put　down　their　phones。〃　Electronic　sounds　beeped　and　whistled　behind　the　hollow　speaker。　〃Bring　no　one　with　you。〃
　　
　　The　newsmen　decided　it　was　all　a　joke　but　that　it　〃was　a　first…rate　performance　。。。　whoever　that　was　had　talent　and　electronic　equipment　to　work　with。〃
　　
　　In　my　travels　I　found　that　newspaper　offices　all　over　the　country　have　received　these　calls；　usually　hollow　voices　that　sound　〃like　they're　in　the　bottom　of　a　well；〃　with　background　sounds　like　electronic　music　or　Teletypes。　The　purpose　of　the　background　is　simple　enough　。。。　it　makes　it　impossible　to　tape　the　voices。　I've　tried　and　found　that　the　background　pletely　smothered　the　voice　on　the　tape。
　　
　　I　kept　a　careful　log　of　the　crank　calls　I　received　and　eventually　cataloged　the　various　tactics　of　the　mysterious　pranksters。　Some　of　these　tactics　are　so　elaborate　they　could　not　be　the　work　of　a　solitary　nut　harassing　UFO　believers　in　his　spare　time。　Rather；　it　all　appears　to　be　the　work　of　either　paranormal　forces　or　a　large　and　well…financed　organization　with　motives　that　evade　me。
　　
　　From　my　years　in　show　business　I　know　that　talented　mimics　are　rare　and　that　some　voices　are　almost　impossible　to　imitate。　Nevertheless；　our　hypothetical　Organization　is　able　to　mimic　almost　anyone…including　myself。　And　I　have　a　flat；　colorless　voice　somewhat　like　former　Vice…President　Spiro　Agnew's。　Professional　mimics　like　Rich〃　Little　and　David　Frye　were　never　able　to　get　Agnew's　voice　down　pat。
　　
　　At　1　A。M。　on　the　morning　of　Friday；　July　14；　1967；　I　received　a　call　from　a　man　who　identified　himself　as　Gray　Barker　from　West　Virginia。　The　voice　sounded　exactly　like　Gray's　softly　accented　mellifluous　own；　but　he　addressed　me　as　if　I　were　a　total　stranger　and　carefully　called　me　〃Mr。　Keel。〃　At　first　I　wondered　if　maybe　he　hadn't　been　out　celebrating。　The　quiet；　familiar　drawl　told　me　that　he　knew　I　wrote　for　newspapers　and　he　had　just　heard　about　a　case　which　he　thought　I　should　look　into。　It　was；　he　said；　similar　to　the　Derenstein　case。　Gray　and　I　had　visited　Woodrow　Derenberger　together　so　I　knew　this　was　not　the　kind　of　mistake　he　would　make。
　　
　　Around　that　time　I　had　received　a　number　of　reports　from　people　in　the　New　York　area　who　had　been　receiving　nuisance　calls　from　a　woman　who　identified　herself　as　〃Mrs。　Gray　Barker。〃　I　knew　that　Gray　was　not　married　but　when　I　mentioned　these　calls　to　this　〃Gray　Barker〃　he　paused　for　a　moment　and　then　said；　〃No；　Mrs。　Barker　hasn't　been　calling　anybody　up　there。〃　He　returned　to　his　recital　of　an　absurdly　insignificant　UFO　sighting　near　West　Mifflin；　Pennsylvania。　It　was　not　the　kind　of　incident　that　would　have　inspired　a　long…distance　call。　Later　I　did　try　to　check　it　out　and　found　all　the　information　he　gave　me　was　false。
　　
　　We　talked　for　about　ten　minutes　and　throughout　that　period　〃Gray〃　sounded　like　a　man　under　duress　。。。　as　though　someone　was　holding　a　gun　to　his　head。　I　tricked　him　several　times　with　different　meaningless　references　and　by　the　time　I　hung　up　I　was　definitely　convinced　that　this　man　was　not　the　real　Gray　Barker。
　　
　　An　hour　later　my　phone　rang　again　and　a　young　man　said；　〃Gray　Baker　has　been　trying　to　reach　you　。。。　he　asked　us　to　give　you　this　number　and　to　please　call　him。〃　He　recited　a　number　that　was　identical　to　my　own　except　for　the　last　digit。
　　
　　There　were　more　calls　from　strangers　that　night；　and　more　pointless　messages　from　Gray　Baker。
　　
　　The　next　day　I　called　Gray　long　distance　and　he　denied　having　placed　the　call；　naturally。
　　
　　Soon　after　that　I　discovered　that　another　〃John　Keel〃　had　been　phoning　people　around　the　country；　imitating　my　voice　and　mannerisms　exactly。　Mary　Hyre　received　one　such　call。　I　phoned　her　a　few　days　afterward　and　she　said；　〃I'm　glad　you're　feeling　better　。。。　you　sounded　sick　or　drunk　the　other　night。〃
　　
　　〃What　other　night？〃
　　
　　〃When　you　called　a　couple　of　nights　ago。　Remember　we　talked　about　your　letter　and　what　you　thought　was　going　to　happen　on　the　river。〃
　　
　　I　had　not　called　her　and　discussed　the　letter。　Nor　had　I　discussed　the　disaster　prediction　with　anyone　other　than　the　contactees　who　were　told　about　it。
　　
　　Jaye　P。　Paro　called　me　one　morning　to　plain。
　　
　　〃You　must　think　I'm　crazy。　I　wouldn't　go　up　to　Mount　Misery　alone　at　midnight。〃
　　
　　〃What　are　you　talking　about？〃　I　demanded。
　　
　　〃Last　night。　You　called　and　told　me　to　meet　you　on　Mount　Misery。〃
　　
　　〃I　didn't　call　you　last　night；　Jaye；　and　I　certainly　wouldn't　ask　you　to　do　such　a　thing　anyway。〃
　　
　　〃You're　putting　me　on。　It　sounded　exactly　like　you。〃
　　
　　I　spent　most　of　March　1968　i