jdavid.footprintsofthunder-第105部分

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n　with　a　brown　bone　collar　around　its　neck。　Spines；　extending　from　its　neck　on　either　side；　were　folded　flat　along　its　body。　Screaming；　Ellen　knocked　it　from　her　shoulder；　but　its　claws　snagged　her　blouse　and　it　hung　upside　down　by　its　back　legs。　Then　it　extended　the　spines　from　its　side；　stretching　the　attached　webbing　wide。　Its　claws　released　and　it　rolled　and　glided　to　the　ground；　reared　on　its　back　legs　and　ran　into　the　underbrush。　Other　lizards　landed　nearby　and　ran　off；　some　scrambling　up　trees　and　disappearing　into　the　foliage。　Another　scored　a　direct　hit　on　Ellen's　head；　its　claws　enmeshed　in　her　hair。　Ellen；　in　panic；　tried　to　pull　it　free；　and　when　it　came　loose　with　a　hunk　of　hair　in　each　fist；　Ellen　flung　it　to　the　ground；　where　it　ran　off　with　the　others。　The　lizard　flights　diminished；　and　when　the　air　raid　ended　the　helicopter　was　gone。
　Tears　filled　Ellen's　eyes。　She　resolved　then　and　there　to　take　no　steps　that　didn't　lead　out　of　this　hell。　She　saw　the　same　desire　in　her　son。　Cubby　looked　mostly　confused；　and　Ripman　was　still　hiding　his　emotions。　Ellen　regarded　the　boys　in　a　new　light。　They　were　still　young　in　many　ways；　struggling　for　an　identity；　not　sure　of　their　direction。　She　had　depended　on　them；　and　they　had　saved　her。　Ripman　had　tried　to　save　Angie　too；　he'd　been　remarkable；　and　so　had　her　son。　But　now　they　needed　her。　She　was　going　to　lead　them　out　of　there。
　Before　she　could　act；　she　heard　a　new　sound；　growing　louder。　Cubby　and　John　looked　at　each　other　accusingly。
　〃It　was　your　bike；〃　Cubby　said。
　〃Uh…uh！　It　was　yours；〃　John　replied　defensively。
　Ellen　didn't　have　time　to　ask　what　they　were　talking　about。　Cubby　pulled　Ripman　to　his　feet　and　into　the　forest　while　John　grabbed　her　arm　and　dragged　her　along　behind。　The　sound　grew　loud　enough　for　her　to　recognize。　It　was　a　motorcycle。
　
　63。　　OSCILLATIONS
　
　Einstein's　failure　to　explain　time's　arrow　。　。　。　is　closely　linked　to　the　concept　of　causality　。　。　。　the　notion　that　effects　never　precede　their　causes。　Consider　a　world　in　which　causality　is　violated；　it　might　mean　that　a　pebble　could　levitate　off　the　ground　so　that　you　could　grasp　it；　worse　than　that；　you　might　be　struck　down　by　a　stone　before　it　fell；　or　kill　your　own　grandmother　before　you　were　born。
　…Peter　Coveney　and　Roger　Highfield；　the　Arrow　of　Time
　
　Washington；　D。C。
　POSTQUILT：　WEDNESDAY；　1：15　P。M。　EST
　
　The　PresNet　was　rich　with　data　now。　Scientists　who　had　been　absent　from　their　labs　studying　local　phenomena　were　back　on…line　providing　reports。　They　were　still　mostly　descriptive　but　some　included　analysis　and　theorizing。　Unidentified　plant　life；　unusual　microscopic　sea　life；　dinosaur　sightings…the　reports　went　on　and　on。　They　were　fascinating　and　seductive　but　Nick　needed　to　concentrate　on　cause；　not　effects；　so　he　programmed　his　puter　to　screen　for　messages　on　Gomez's　theory。
　That　theory　was　receiving　both　support　and　criticism。　A　physicist　at　the　University　of　Virginia　had　organized　mentary　into　confirming　responses　and　invalidating　arguments。　Nick　skimmed　the　listings；　but　there　was　none　for　E。　Puglisi。　A　few　minutes　later　a　messenger　delivered　an　envelope。
　It　was　from　E。　Puglisi。　Nick　tore　it　open　and　extracted　a　thick　stack　of　photos　and　a　two…page　typed　report。　Puglisi　wrote　in　an　efficient　style　and；　like　a　good　science　writer；　began　with　a　summary　of　the　entire　report。　Nick　read　the　summary；　excitement　building　with　each　word。　When　he　finished；　he　dropped　the　report　and　thumbed　through　the　pictures；　finding　the　photo　the　summary　referred　to　but　unable　to　see　the　details。　His　hands　shaking　nervously；　he　brought　a　magnifying　glass　down　over　the　crater　named　Flamsteed　until　it　came　into　focus。　There　it　was。
　Nick　leaned　back　in　his　chair　and　stared　at　the　ceiling；　trying　to　take　in　the　implications。　He　had　been　somewhat　vague　when　he　asked　Puglisi　to　make　the　survey；　but　Puglisi　had　immediately　taken　the　initiative。　Puglisi's　report　noted　that　he　and　his　colleague　Chen…Slater　had　reasoned　that　only　three　types　of　changes　to　an　airless　body　like　the　moon　could　be　passed　from　the　future　to　the　present。　Changes　from　internal　events；　like　moonquakes。　Changes　from　celestial　events；　like　meteorite　impact。　Or　man…made　change。　Puglisi　and　Chen…Slater　found　only　the　third　kind。
　Nick　leaned　back　over　the　photo　to　make　sure　he　hadn't　imagined　it。　It　was　there；　in　the　crater。　A　rectangular　structure；　so　symmetrical　and　sharp…edged　there　was　no　confusing　it　with　natural　phenomena。　Something　from　the　future　was　now　on　the　moon。　What　could　it　be？　Nick　wondered；　his　mind　racing　through　endless　possibilities。　Most　likely；　he　thought；　it's　part　of　a　permanent　moon　base。　But　in　the　future　we　would　know　the　time　displacement　was　going　to　occur。　Knowing　that；　wouldn't　we　take　steps　to　make　sure　a　base　would　not　be　constructed　in　a　location　to　be　displaced？　Or　at　least　built　under　the　surface；　where　the　effect　doesn't　seem　to　carry？　Of　course　it　could　be　from　such　a　far　future　that　civilization　had　lost　its　collective　memory　for　this　time。　Perhaps　civilization　collapses；　only　to　rise　again。　Or　perhaps　the　structure　was　placed　there　deliberately　to　travel　to　the　past…to　Nick's　present？　Would　future　scientists　be　able　to　predict　the　time　displacement　that　accurately？
　A　knock　interrupted　his　thoughts；　irritating　him。　〃e　in！〃
　Elizabeth　came　through　again；　this　time　acpanied　by　Samuel　Cannon。　Nick　had　exchanged　pleasantries　with　the　CIA　director　on　occasion；　but　never　had　closer　contact。　He　and　Elizabeth　pulled　chairs　up　close　to　Nick's　desk　and　leaned　forward；　talking　in　low　voices。　As　usual　Elizabeth's　face　was　impassive；　but　Cannon's　look　told　Nick　this　meeting　would　be　all　business。　With　her　usual　bluntness；　Elizabeth　jumped　right　to　the　problem。
　〃Nick；　the　President　is　going　ahead　with　Gogh's　plan。　The　cruise　missiles　have　been　armed　and　the　terrain　mapped。　They　are　going　to　launch　as　soon　as　the　timing　is　right。〃
　〃What　about　the　site　selection？　Aren't　they　going　back　to　the　Security　Council　to　consider　sites？〃
　Elizabeth　and　Samuel　Cannon　exchanged　glances；　and　then　Cannon　answered　in　a　subdued　voice。　〃There　is　nothing　to　be　considered。　The　site　has　been　selected。　It's　the　Portland　site。　They　can't　confirm　the　dinosaur　report　in　Alaska；　and　the　glacier　site　is　too　near　the　Canadian　border。　Besides；　the　glacier　might　be　from　the　Ice　Age。　We　have　no　way　of　knowing。〃
　Nick　knew　what　he　meant。　Everything　suggested　the　time　displacements　were　all　from　the　Cretaceous　period；　but　if　the　glacier　was　from　the　Ice　Age　there　might　be　people　somewhere　there。　It　was　unlikely　that　killing　them　would　alter　the　present；　and　if　it　did　who　would　know？　Nick　understood　the　danger；　however。　Severing　a　lifeline　in　the　ancient　past　would　kill　all　succeeding　generations。　Who　might　be　eliminated　from　history　by　such　an　act？　While　you　might　want　to　eliminate　Hitler　or　Stalin；　you　would　also　risk　Jesus；　Gandhi；　and　Einstein。　But　if　you　killed　Einstein；　would　we　have　nuclear　weapons　at　all？　Perhaps　Hitler　would　have　developed　them　first　and　won　World　War　II。　And　if　we　didn't　have　the　bomb；　how　could　we　drop　it　to　kill　Einstein　in　the　first　place？　Nick's　mind　reeled　for　the　second　time　in　a　few　minutes。　He　understood　why　they　were　avoiding　the　Alaskan　site…still；　risking　the　population　of　Portland　for　an　untested　theory　was　immoral。
　〃But　Portland　is　a　city。　Can't　you　convince　the　President　to　wait　for　confirmation　on　the　glacier　site？〃　Nick　argued。
　〃Nick；　the　President　is　only　listening　to　Gogh。　Gogh　is　telling　him　what　he　wants　to　hear；　and　what　he　wants　to　hear　is　that　he　can　get　his　wife　back。　Nick；　do　you　think　this　will　work…this　bomb　theory？〃
　〃I've　been　monitoring　the　debate　over　Gomez's…Gogh's　theory；　and　only　one　in　ten　physicists　support　it。　The　rest　are　suggesting　modifications　or　outright　doubt　about　its　validity。　No　one　is　supporting　Gogh's　idea　that　simultaneous　nuclear　detonations　will　return　things　to　normal。　It's　also　not　clear　that　the　explosions　will　actually　take　place　in　the　past。　Those　bombs　could　be　delivered　to　our　present。〃
　Elizabeth　exchanged　glances　with　Cannon　again；　and　when　she　gave　him　an　encouraging　look；　he　nodded　reluctantly。　〃There's　so