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r had said about things falling out of the sky。 But why books on time？ Wouldn't the mountain be better explained with books on geology？
Bill was still working with Kenny's puter； running programs。 So Terry started looking through the books on the shelf above Kenny's desk。 There were titles like Stranger Than Fact； The Unknown； and Science and the Unexplained。 They reminded him of tabloids in grocery store racks； pulp journals that mixed fact and fiction。 Terry thumbed through Stranger Than Fact and found a chapter on ghosts； describing how a man bought a house； against the advice of his friends； which supposedly had a haunted room。 One night the man went to bed in the room and woke up in the night feeling someone's breath on the back of his neck。 He rolled over to find himself inches from the decaying face of a dead woman； her fetid breath blowing into his face。 Terrified； the man ran into the street； pulling his hair out。
Other stories were similar； and Terry was about to throw the book back onto the shelf when he noticed some pages were highlighted in pink。
For instance； in a section called 〃Human Torches〃 one story detailed how an old woman was found burned to death sitting in a chair in her room on February 5； 1905。 She and the chair were burned to crispy charcoal。 The floor was charred around the woman's chair eighteen inches in all directions； but beyond that the room was untouched； and the walls were free of soot。 The woman did not smoke and the book described it as a case of spontaneous human bustion。 There were other similar cases； ranging from 1725 to 1977。 The last case was nearly identical to the 1905 one…a woman found in front of her television； her body pletely consumed by a fire that left only the head and one foot。 Nothing else in the room was burned。
Terry flipped through the book again to a chapter called 〃Extinct？〃 A highlighted section described a fish called a 〃coelacanth〃 caught in a fisherman's net off the coast of South America。 The 120…pound armored fish was half…fish and half…land animal； and thought to be extinct for seventy…five million years。
Terry flipped through the pages to other highlighted sections on Sasquatch sightings in the Pacific Northwest； yeti sightings in Tibet； and dinosaur sightings in Africa。 A big section was devoted to things falling from the sky。 Fish； frogs； seeds； ice； and rocks have fallen out of a blue sky and pelted people and homes。 In Singapore on the morning of February 16； 1861； fish had poured from the sky and the Chinese and Malays had collected hundreds of pounds in baskets。 Terry jumped over reports of fish falls in 1920； 1941； and 1968 to a similar report from Kamilla； India； in 1975； when thousands of sardine…size fish poured out of the sky。 In this report the fish were dried。
Probably the strangest story told of a group of archaeologists working in the Egyptian desert who were found in the shambles of their camp； dead。 They had been drowned。 No one could explain how the archaeologists and their workers had drowned in the middle of the desert。 There were no signs of foul play； and obviously there wasn't enough water to drown in。
Terry found himself peculiarly attracted to the stories in the book。 They had the same kind of appeal that had brought people into freak shows for centuries； and took them to slasher movies today。 The excitement wasn't in seeing someone merely killed； but in seeing someone killed in an unusual way。
Despite his affinity for the book and its stories； Terry could not see the mon thread that tied the stories together。 Spontaneous bustion； Big Foot； and prehistoric fish added up to nothing but a waste of time。
Terry put the book back on the shelf and looked through the stacks of papers and other books。 An overstuffed file of newspaper clippings next to the puter told stories similar to those in the books on the shelf。 The first was only two paragraphs long； describing a woman walking down a street in Seattle。 A man passed her in the other direction。 Suddenly there was a 〃whoosh〃 and a 〃pop〃 and when the woman turned around the man was on fire。 Not just flickering with flames； but a human torch that burned so hot the body was nearly consumed。 Terry immediately remembered the old woman burned in her room； but still could not see the significance of these events。 The next clipping was of an event in Hiroshima； Japan。 Several people in a park repotted a strange shower of flowers。 Not just a few； but thousands； they fell in torrents； burying a woman and a child。 Something about the event suddenly tickled Terry's mind； but Bill interrupted his thoughts。 〃I can't make heads or tails out of this。 Let's go。〃 Terry started toward the door but Bill began taking the puter apart and putting the pieces into a puter pack…the monitor； the keyboard； and the mouse。 There was no place for the hard drive； so Bill stacked it on top of the pack。 Then he noticed Terry watching。
〃Don't stand there； Terry。 Gather up anything and everything。〃
Not certain enough to resist Bill； Terry gathered up the file folder with the clippings； then the books； using Kenny's bedspread to make a sack。 Bill followed his example； and they filled a bedspread； a blanket； and a sheet。 When Terry reached up for the last of the books； he noticed a jar at the end of the shelf。 He picked it up and shook it。 It was full of dried corn。
When Terry and Bill left； dragging their improvised bags behind them； Terry； guilt…ridden； knew Bill felt like they had acplished something； but Terry was sure only that they had just burgled Kenny Randall's room。
As planned； Angie and Ellen were in the coffee shop。 Ellen's face told Terry something was wrong before his wife blurted it out。
〃We've got to get home； Terry。 We've got to find John。〃
〃What is it； Ellen？ What's happened to John？〃
〃Maybe nothing。 I don't know； but Portland is gone。〃
24。 ROGUES' GALLERY
He was found on the piaza in Mexico City； dressed in his resplendent uniform and carrying a strange gun。 He was very confused and thought he was in Manila； Philippines。 He said he was looking for the governor's palace； to which he hod been posted that morning。 We were later to confirm he was telling the truth。 In what manner he was so instantly transported no one has yet to explain。
…Mexico Gty； October 1593
Washington； D。C。
POSTQUILT： SUNDAY； 1：40 P。M。 EST
Elizabeth's organizational instincts expanded well beyond the President's needs； and it was no surprise to Nick when she presented him with a schedule of activities。 He was only mildly irritated by Elizabeth's intrusion。 Nick admitted to himself he was stumbling blindly。
He had accessed the PresNet； the puter network of presidential science advisors。 PresNet was Dr。 Gogh's achievement。 One of his strengths was in organization。 He'd managed to negotiate an appropriation out of Congress to fund his dream。 Using the prestige of the White House； and the money from Congress； he'd recruited a far…flung group of scientists from all disciplines to serve as the 〃President's Science Advisor Associates。〃 The networked scientists received the prestige of being part of an elite group； state…of…the…art puter equipment； and perceived access to the White House。 More practically they received unlimited database access； on…line superputer time； and the means to municate with colleagues across the country through the sophisticated puter network。
Nick guessed that Gogh never imagined the network would be used in the way Nick was using it。 Unfortunately； big chunks of the network were down； and those ing on…line were seeking as much information as they were providing。
The few on the network reported that physical changes had been wrought； apparently instantly； in widespread parts of the country； with no obvious connection。 Nick had two assistants working on assessing the amount of affected acreage； and once he had enough data； patterns might present themselves； and theories could be generated。 At least that was the idea。 But the only pattern Nick could discern was no pattern。
There were now 〃confirmed〃 reports of changes in other parts of the world； including Russia。 Cannon had sent over these new reports with a note emphasizing that 〃only confirmed reports were reliable and only these reports should be shared with the President。〃 Nick wondered what criteria the CIA used to decide if a report was 〃confirmed〃？ Three reliable witnesses ？ Ten ？ Did one of them have to be a CIA agent ？ N ick also had a copy of the administration's policy on leaking information and an admonition to keep the Security Council discussions to himself。 The note ended with Cannon's scrawled signature and a handwritten note stating； 〃we still have no confirmed reports of dinosaurs。〃
The schedule Elizabeth imposed on Nick was grueling。 She checked with Nick on the hour to see if he had a solution to the problem yet； and at the same time scheduled a series of interviews for him with people who claimed to know what was going on。 The list included three psychics who had predicted cataclysmic events； two religious fanatics from cults that preached the end of the world； and a man who had been arrested in front of the Capitol Building for taking off his clothes and masturbat