jdavid.footprintsofthunder-第39部分

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　Even　when　they　started　finding　bones；　many　believers　refused　to　accept　the　idea　of　dinosaurs。　A　lot　of　people　still　don't　accept　the　idea。　Man；　what　are　they　gonna　say　now？〃
　Cubby　picked　up　a　stick　and　broke　it　into　pieces；　flicking　them　into　the　grass；　lost　in　his　own　thoughts。　John's　mind　jumped　from　the　impossibility　of　the　dinosaurs；　to　his　family；　to　his　missing　friend。
　〃I'm　gonna　go　on；　John；〃　Cubby　said　finally。　〃I　don't　know　what　happened　to　Ripman；　maybe　he　made　it　to　Portland　already；　but　I've　got　to　find　my　mom　and　dad。　My　dad　will　know　what's　happened　。。。　he　can　explain　this　。　。　。　Noah's　Ravens　。　。　。　everything。　He　has　the　gift　of　discernment。〃
　At　that　moment　John　realized　that　if　Ripman　had　wanted　to　go　on；　John　would　have　gone　with　him　right　away。　But　when　Cubby　said　the　same　thing；　John　lacked　confidence；　and　suddenly　Ripman's　idea　of　heading　to　the　cabin　sounded　better…　especially　since　the　incident　with　the　dinosaur。
　He　didn't　exactly　understand　what　Cubby　meant　by　the　〃gift　of　discernment；〃　but　John　already　knew　what　Cubby's　dad　would　say…using　words　like　judgment；　sin；　and　repentance；　he'd　spiritualize　what　had　happened　and　Cubby　would　e　away　feeling　better。　But　it　wouldn't　do　anything　for　John；　who　was　betting　that　Cubby　was　wrong　and　that　God　didn't　have　anything　to　do　with　this。　John　didn't　need　his　parents　in　the　same　way　Cubby　needed　his；　John　simply　wanted　them。
　In　the　end　the　prospect　of　walking　through　the　forest　by　himself　led　John　to　decide　to　stay　with　Cubby。　Besides；　John's　confusion　about　reality　scared　him。　Despite　all　the　evidence　of　a　new；　dramatically　changed　world；　John　couldn't　help　but　think　that　just　over　the　next　hill；　or　through　the　next　stand　of　trees；　they　would　run　into　a　Burger　King　or　a　McDonald's；　and　there　would　be　Ripman　with　a　Big　Mac　in　his　hand　asking　what　kept　them。
　Finally；　he　just　nodded　to　Cubby　and　suggested　they　rest　until　morning。　It　was　getting　dark；　so　they　began　looking　for　a　safe　place　to　spend　the　night。　Because　of　the　big　tree　lizards　they　were　afraid　of　sleeping　in　the　trees；　and　besides；　they　doubted　they　could　climb　high　enough　to　elude　the　big　dinosaur。　Instead　they　walked　until　they　found　an　area　where　several　trees　had　fallen　together　and　left　a　hollow　underneath。　After　digging　the　hollow　a　little　deeper　and　wider；　they　wedged　themselves　inside　it；　pulled　some　smaller　branches　over　the　opening　to　hide　themselves；　and　wrapped　themselves　up　in　their　stolen　space　blankets。
　Cubby　muttered　urgent　prayers　for　a　long　time　while　John　listened　respectfully。　But　finally　John　needed　to　talk；
　〃Hey；　Cubby；　did　you　ever　see　that　show　about　those　guys　who　dug　down　to　the　center　of　the　earth？〃
　〃I　read　the　Jules　Verne　book。〃
　〃That's　different。　In　the　Verne　book　they；　climbed　down　into　a　cave　to　get　there。　In　this　movie　some　scientist　builds　a　digging　machine　that's　supposed　to　be　used　for　mining　or　tunneling；　or　something；　but　once　they　start　digging　with　it　they　can't　stop　it。　They　end　up　digging　all　the　way　to　the　center　of　the　earth；　and　it　turns　out　it's　hollow　inside。〃
　〃I've　seen　a　couple　like　that。〃
　〃Me　too。　I　think　they　made　a　couple　of　sequels。　Anyway；　I　read　once　there's　a　bunch　of　people　that　really　believe　the　earth　is　hollow　and　that　there　may　be　a　whole　civilization　inside。　Some　of　them　even　think　that's　where　flying　saucers　e　from。〃
　〃The　saucers　e　from　the　middle　of　the　earth？　How　do　they　get　in　and　out？〃
　〃Caves　at　the　poles。　Anyway；　in　the　movie　they　got　down　inside　the　middle　of　the　earth　and　there　were　dinosaurs　inside　and　cave　people；　and　stuff。　Maybe　Ripman　was　right；　maybe　there　was　a　volcanic　eruption　or　something。　Maybe　this　place　used　to　be　inside　the　earth　and　somehow　it　got　blasted　up　to　the　surface。〃
　〃Jeez；　John。　Do　you　really　believe　that？　This　isn't　some　dumb　science…fiction　movie。　Besides；　why　are　you　so　hot　on　this　idea　but　you　don't　believe　me　when　I　tell　you　it's　the　second　ing　of　Christ？　Why　is　a　hollow　earth　turned　inside　out　more　believable　than　God's　judgment？〃
　John　didn't　answer　right　away。　He　didn't　know　how。　Ever　since　he　could　remember　he　had　always　preferred　to　believe　in　things　he　could　sense。　John　had　always　described　ESP；　and　all　that　paranormal　stuff；　as　crap。　He　stopped　short　of　calling　God's　judgment　crap；　but　he　still　had　trouble　believing。　The　forest　around　him　was　physical；　and　that　meant　real…according　to　John。
　Cubby　was　different。　The　supernatural　came　easy　for　him。　Divine　intervention；　God；　the　Holy　Spirit；　sanctification；　all　fit　together　like　so　many　pieces　of　the　same　puzzle。　Together　they　made　a　picture　of　a　spiritual　realm　that　was　as　real　to　Cubby　as　the　forest　was　to　John。　To　Cubby　the　forest　was　physical　proof　of　a　spiritual　truth。　It　was　as　easy　for　Cubby　to　believe　that　the　forest　was　an　act　of　God　as　it　was　for　John　to　believe　that　it　came　from　the　center　of　the　earth。
　〃Hey；　Ripman　disproved　your　theory；〃　John　argued。　〃We　didn't　find　the　topless　joint；　remember。　Besides；　I　thought　God　was　going　to　use　fire　or　something　to　destroy　the　earth。　Where　in　the　Bible　does　it　say　people　are　going　to　be　eaten　by　dinosaurs？〃
　〃Scripture　isn't　easy　to　interpret。　If　you'd　ever　read　any　you　would　know　that。〃　Cubby　spoke　thoughtfully；　not　in　a　mean　way。　After　a　few　minutes　Cubby　talked　again。
　〃Maybe　God　did　do　something　like　this　once　before。　A　couple　of　months　ago　my　father　did　a　series　for　his　radio　show　on　the　Tower　of　Babel。　You　remember　that　story？　The　people　of　earth　had　bee　arrogant　and　were　trying　to　build　a　tower　to　reach　God。　To　punish　the　people；　and　stop　them；　God　gave　them　all　different　languages；　they　couldn't　talk　to　each　other　anymore。〃
　〃Cubby；　I　can　still　understand　you。　I　mean　I　know　what　your　words　mean；　it's　the　bination　that　doesn't　make　sense。〃
　〃Yeah；　but　if　we　meet　some　dude　hunting　dinosaurs；　wearing　a　skin　and　carrying　a　spear；　I　bet　you　can't　understand　him。〃
　〃Your　theory's　thin；　Cubby。〃
　〃Thinner　than　UFOs　from　the　center　of　the　earth？〃
　Because　John　didn't　quite　believe　his　own　theory；　he　couldn't　argue　it　seriously；　so　he　changed　the　subject。　〃Cubby；　did　those　dinosaurs　look　right　to　you？　I　mean；　they　didn't　look　like　any　dinosaurs　I'd　ever　seen　before。〃
　〃Jeez；　John；　you've　never　seen　a　dinosaur　before；　only　pictures。〃
　〃You　know　what　I　mean。　That　little　one　that　was　being　chased；　its　head　was　too　small　and　too　pointy；　and　its　legs　were　too　big　for　the　rest　of　its　body。　And　the　big　one　didn't　have　much　of　a　tail。　I　thought　they　fought　each　other　with　their　tails　and　stuff。〃
　〃I　didn't　see　much　of　the　big　one；　but　the　little　one　did　look　funny。　All　those　pictures　of　dinosaurs　in　books　are　just　guesses。　Maybe　when　they　tried　covering　those　dinosaur　skeletons　with　skin　they　got　it　wrong？　Or　maybe　the　dinosaurs　that　were　chasing　us　were　different　from　the　ones　in　the　museums。　They　were　around　for　millions　and　millions　of　years。　Maybe　we　don't　have　any　bones　of　ones　like　these。〃
　John　and　Cubby　didn't　sleep　or　talk〃　much　after　that。　Cubby　mumbled　prayers　most　of　the　night；　sometimes　loud　enough　for　John　to　pick　out　names　and　words。　Cubby　was　praying　not　only　for　his　family　but　also　for　John's　and　Ripman's。　John　wanted　to　thank　him　for　his　prayers。　But；　reluctant　to　disturb　his　friend；　instead；　John　lay　silent　listening　to　the　sounds　of　the　forest　and　worrying　about　his　parents。
　
　26。　　STREETS　OF　THE　NEW　WORLD
　
　Never　was　there　a　thunderbolt　to　match　that　to　e。　Italy；　Spain；　and　the　English　will　tremble。　And　the　whole　world　will　never　be　the　some。
　…Nostradamus
　
　The　disasters　came　in　three　waves。　The　immediate　losses　of　land；　crops；　buddings；　and　people　were　the　beginning。　Shortly　thereafter　came　the　secondary　effects。　With　roads　and　bridges　gone；　and　sections　of　track　missing；　cars　and　train　wrecks　piled　up　all　over　the　country。　Along　foggy　highway　1　in　California　thirty　two　cars　drove　off　a　cliff　before　a　slow…moving　Winnebago　stopped　in　time。　In　other　parts　of　the　country　dams　that　had　disappeared　into　the　night　released　their　waters；　and　towns　and　villages　were　washed　away　in　unprecedented　deluges。　Fires　spread　in　some　areas；　growing　into　firestorms　that　the　survivors　were　ill　equipped　to　fight。　Numerous　ava