按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
at how both of them looked well rested and well pressed。 Colonel Winfield's uniform was stiff and smooth； as if it had never been worn； his graying temples neatly bed； and his dark face shaved clean and smooth。 Elizabeth was just as well groomed。 How the two of them could wake in the middle of the night and pull themselves together so quickly the President couldn't understand。 Elizabeth at least had the advantage of age。 She was still in her thirties； but Colonel Winfield was well into his fifties and managed the same trick。 To look presidential； McIntyre pulled himself erect as he walked into the room。
All the lights were on； including the green shaded reading light on his desk。 Still the room looked dark to the President； perhaps because of the dark windows behind the desk。 Why is it； the President thought； that the dark of morning is different than the dark of night？
He sat behind his desk； picked up a paper clip and twisted it into a miniature crank； which he would fiddle with all through the meeting。 The paper clip signaled he was ready and Elizabeth began。
〃Something has happened 。 。 。 something strange。〃
That was all she said。 The President looked at her with surprise。 Elizabeth Hawthorne at a loss for words？ She and Colonel Winfield exchanged glances； but neither spoke。
〃What has happened？〃 he prompted。 〃Have the Russians invaded the Baltic states？ Did California shake into the sea？ Have I been impeached？〃
〃Parts of the country have 。。。 are 。。。 experiencing munication disruptions； blackouts； and there have been some disappearances；〃 Elizabeth said。
〃Disappearances？ Who has disappeared？〃
〃It's not a matter of who 。 。 。 well； I don't mean to overlook the human dimension but 。 。 。 Mr。 President； it appears that a large section of New York City has disappeared。〃
President McIntyre was baffled。
〃What do you mean 'disappeared'？ I can understand devastated； or vaporized； or flooded； but what the hell does disappeared mean？〃
〃It means； Mr。 President； that where there were buildings； streets； cars； and people； there is now nothing；〃
〃Nothing？ Nothing means an absence of anything 。 。 。 a void。〃
〃What Ms。 Hawthorne means； sir；〃 Colonel Winfield cut in； 〃is where there was a city； there is now countryside。〃
The President sat back in his desk chair； reclining。 He was considering the possibility of a practical joke； but Elizabeth was humorless。 President Mcintyre had never heard her utter anything more than a polite courtesy chuckle now and then。 But if this wasn't a joke； then what？ Cities don't disappear； at least they never had。
〃I'm still having trouble understanding this 。。。 a section of New York City is now devoid of buildings and streets 。 。 。 and people 。 。 。 and is now farmland； or something？〃
〃Yes； sir；〃 Colonel Winfield said； 〃and the rest of the city is blacked out。 The reports are unofficial； but they do seem to he consistent。 Inbound mercial flights to Kennedy International have been rerouted 。 。 。 and at least one aircraft has been lost。 Kennedy International is gone…we've confirmed it with our own flyover。〃
The President was lost in thought； thinking about what Colonel Winfield was saying。 The paper clip in his hands slowed its twirl to a near stop。 From experience Elizabeth and the colonel knew not to interrupt； the President processed slowly but thoroughly。 Finally the paper clip picked up speed and the President looked up。
〃You said 'parts of the country' and 'disappearances。' You used the plural； didn't you？〃
Elizabeth stood and walked over to the President's desk。
〃Mr。 President； there are similar reports from other regions of the country。 Blackouts； tornadoes； sonic booms； and sudden disappearances of roads and even whole towns。 We don't know how widespread it is； but it is not an isolated incident。〃
〃Colonel Winfield； I want flyovers of as many areas as possible and satellite reconnaissance if you can get it； I've got to see this for myself。 If the military hasn't gone to full alert then it should immediately。 I want a full intelligence briefing at the staff meeting。〃
Colonel Winfield nodded and left。 Elizabeth turned 。to leave； but the President stopped her。
〃Elizabeth； I've lost track of Sandy's schedule。〃
〃The first lady is in Atlanta； Mr。 President。 We have no word about Atlanta。〃
〃Thank you； Elizabeth。〃
When Elizabeth left； the President was staring out the dark window and twisting the paper clip crank around and around。
17。 SCIENCE ADVISOR
The morning I arrived in Singapore the heavens filled the street with fishes。 When the fish stopped falling the Chinese ond the Malays gathered them up； most returning home with an overflowing basket。 A most unusual introduction to a most unusual country。
…Francois de Castelnou； February 16；1861
Washington； D。C。
POSTQUILT： SUNDAY； 5：13 A。M。 EST
There was a phone beeping in Nick Paulson's ear。 Nick's head was paralyzed from fatigue but he managed to roll his eyes ninety degrees toward the clock radio。 The numbers waved before his eyes for a few seconds and then coalesced into a fuzzy pattern that resembled 5：13。 The two glowing globs in the cor…net were too blurry to read； but they had to say A。M。 The phone beeped again and Nick began to wish for the good old days when phones jangled。 A jangle can energize you and take you from stage four sleep all the way to consciousness。 But a beep just doesn't have the necessary power to blast you from delta waves to alpha waves。
On the second try； Nick palmed the receiver and heard a voice respond to his groggy hello； but it didn't make any sense。 Finally he recognized it as belonging to Elizabeth Hawthorne； the President's chief of staff。 Elizabeth Hawthorne was a human jangle。
〃Elizabeth 。 。 。 Elizabeth 。 。 。 start over please。 I've only been in bed a couple of hours。〃
〃I said； we're calling an emergency Security Council meeting at seven this morning and you are to be there。 It would help if you could e in as soon as possible and review some of the reports we have。 The President will want your assessment。〃
Nick was not sure he understood her。 Nick had never sat with the Security Council； and he couldn't imagine the kind of emergency that would require a science advisor。 Emergencies usually need only two kinds of people； those who can negotiate and those who can kill。 Nick was sure he couldn't do the first； and pretty sure he couldn't do the second。
〃Elizabeth； can you tell me the nature of the emergency？〃
〃Not on this line。 Dr。 Paulson； be here within the hour。〃 Elizabeth hung up。 Good…byes were superfluous to her。 It was then he noticed his heart was pounding。 Only two things made Nick's heart pound； sex and fear。 Since Kathy had moved out over two months ago； that left only fear。
Twenty minutes later he was directing his Volvo through the empty streets。 The rain had stopped and the streets were shiny and slick。 Nick ran an electric razor over his face as he drove； clearing away the stubble。 He finished grooming by running his fingers through his thinning blond hair。 He decided to check the radio for news； hoping to pick up some clue to what the Security Council was meeting to discuss。 There was nothing but music on the FM stations； but on AM he picked up part of a news broadcast。
〃Bill； how are the people of New York handling this latest blackout？〃
〃Well； so far； Maria； we have no reports of looting。 As our listeners know from past blackouts； some people take advantage of unfortunate circumstances like these。 We can only hope that the governor…〃
Nick went back to twisting the dial。
The meeting could have something to do with the New York situation； but blackouts normally don't require a meeting of the Security Council。 Now if the blackout was caused by terrorist action you might call such a meeting。 But why invite the science advisor？ It couldn't be a nuclear attack。 Nick wasn't on the nuclear response team。 Besides； a nuclear blast would certainly have made the newscasts by now。 Nick spun the dial looking for more details and rested briefly on a talk show。
〃I'm telling you； Gene； this is what I saw。 The road is gone； the trees are gone； the old candle factory is gone； everything is gone。 Gone； gone； gone！ Can't you hear what I'm telling you？〃
〃Ken 。 。 。 Ken； I can hear fine。 But do you hear what you're saying？ Do you？ You want me 。 。 。 and my listeners 。。。 to believe that you turned your back for a second； just a second； and when you looked back everything was snowed in？ Ken； it can't snow that fast。〃
〃I didn't say it snowed…〃
〃Ken 。。。 let me finish 。 。 。 suddenly； without warning； on a sixty…degree night； it snows thirty or forty feet。 。 。 enough to cover a factory？ I'm not buying it； Ken。 Time to refill your prescription。〃
〃Well why don't you e out here and I'll take some of that imaginary snow and shove it…〃
Nick was sorry the line went dead。 Ken was about to tell the talk show host something Nick had always wanted to say to a talk show host。
〃Naughty； naughty； Ken。 We must please the FCC now； mustn't we 。。。 you butthead。 We've got Coop from Carlton； Oregon； on line three。 Go ahead； Coop； you're on Night Talk。〃
〃Gene； I got another improbable indecipherable for yo