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…Dr。 Lewis Connors
Heading east at 20；000 feet
POSTQUILT： MONDAY； 6：30 A。M。 PST
While Terry's body was in a military jet traveling at 600 mph toward Washington； D。C。； his mind was in a different place entirely。 He was worried about John。 The rumor about Portland being missing was impossible to believe but also impossible to forget。 A city can't be missing； Terry told himself over and over。 There must have been an avalanche； or an earthquake； or something； he reasoned。 Maybe Mount Saint Helens had erupted again and the roads were blocked by ash。 No； a city couldn't just be missing； but then there shouldn't be a mountain in the middle of I…5 either。 If something had happened to Portland； John might need Terry's help。 Knowing that made his decision difficult。
He and Ellen had fought over the course of action。 Ellen wanted them to try to get to Portland； to find their son。 But influenced by Bill's authority； Terry had finally accepted that he would be of more use in Washington than in Oregon。
〃This kid knows something； Terry；〃 Bill had argued。 〃He's barely hanging on to reality； and we need to know what he knows。〃
〃Our son needs us too； Bill；〃 Ellen retorted。
〃You can't even get to Portland。 The road's blocked。 There is a traffic jam twelve miles long。〃
〃We could try the coast highway or a back road； or maybe fly；〃 Ellen said hopefully。
〃I think Ellen's right； Bill；〃 Terry said tentatively。 〃I've got a boy in Portland。 I need to know if he's all right。〃
Bill was a hard person to disagree with。 He didn't use verbal gymnastics。 He just spoke with logic and certainty and Terry's own doubts convinced him Bill was right。
〃I say the best way to help your boy is to find out what has happened。 Help me take this kid to Washington and I'll help you find your boy。 We can fly that kid out to Washington and fly back by the time you could find a way to Portland。 It's only going to get worse。 People will panic soon。 Are you ready to deal with looters and people scared beyond reason？〃
Terry was weakening and it showed on his face； but Ellen was even more resolved；
〃We've got to help our son； Terry； don't let him…〃
〃What about your daughter？〃 Bill countered。 〃What's her name？〃
〃Carolyn；〃 Angie cut in。
〃Yeah； Carolyn；〃 Bill continued。 〃She's in the Washington； D。C。； area； isn't she？ What about her？〃
〃I don't know； Bill；〃 Terry stammered。
〃I can get us a helicopter。〃
That did it。 Terry wasn't even sure he could find another way into Portland。 Ellen； however； was outraged。 She stopped talking to him entirely； and when he left she didn't say goodbye。
Bill used his military ID and three phone calls to get Kenny Randall released in his custody。 The same procedure got them a Piper Cub at the Medford Airport and a military 707 at Mountain Home Air Force Base in Idaho。 Now Terry found himself baby…sitting a sleeping Kenny as he reconsidered his decision。
Kenny stirred； momentarily distracting Terry。 Kenny's eyes moved rapidly back and forth under the lids。 Kenny was dreaming； and that meant he'd be awake soon。 Terry wondered whether Kenny's dream could be more fantastic than the events of the last two days。
Bill had been up front talking with the pilots and returned with a grim look。
〃It's worse than I thought。 The pilots are picking up reports from all over the country 。 。 。 strange reports… Huge sheets of ice； deserts appearing out of nowhere； floods。 There's also another missing city report。 New York。〃
Terry's heart twisted in his chest。 One missing city report seemed fantastic； two somehow seemed credible。
〃Any response yet？〃 Bill gestured toward Kenny。
〃No。 But he's ing out of it。 He's dreaming。 You have to be in a light stage of sleep to dream。 Once he wakes up he'll be lucid for a few minutes。 But the more thinking he does； the more anxiety he will feel。 He'll handle that anxiety by shutting out the outside world。 We better know what we want to ask right when he wakes。 We may get only one chance。〃
〃Let him sleep。 We're almost to Washington； and I have a doctor standing by to meet us。〃
Bill and Terry spent the next twenty minutes writing down questions。 They decided on a strategy to build Kenny's ego； confirming he was right and then manipulating his paranoid tendencies to get the information they needed。
〃Where am I？〃
The sound of Kenny's voice rang like a slap across the face。 He was looking around the cabin。 He seemed generally confused； but not psychotic。
Immediately； Bill employed their plan。
〃I'm Bill Conrad and this is Terry Roberts。 And you're on your way to Washington； D。C。 The President wants to meet you and shake your hand。〃
Kenny now looked confused and pleased； but disbelieving。
〃That's right； Kenny。 You warned people。 You did your best to save people。 How did you manage to figure it out like that？〃
Suddenly Kenny lunged at the window； trying to see the ground below。 Then he unbuckled his seat belt and ran from window to window； finally settling in a seat toward the rear of the plane； his nose pressed against the window。 Terry sat beside him and Bill leaned over from the seat in front。 Suddenly Kenny's head snapped around to look at Terry。
〃My sister？〃
〃She's fine。 She'll be waiting for you when you return to Oregon。〃
Kenny looked relieved； and then an emotion Terry couldn't identify reshaped his expression。 After a minute； Terry pressed ahead with his questioning。
〃How did you figure it out； Kenny？ You must be a genius。〃 Terry tried to say it with conviction。
Kenny pushed his nose against the window again and began to talk。
〃I'm not a genius； I just notice things other people don't。 Like the corn。〃
〃The corn？〃 Terry probed。
〃Yeah； the corn。 Me； Jack； and Robbie went hunting and on the way it started to rain corn。 Just poured out of the sky。〃
Kenny paused and twisted his head； like he had spotted something on the ground behind the plane。 Terry was worried about the next question； but Kenny needed to start talking again soon。
〃You were the only one who noticed it？〃
〃You think I'm crazy； don't you！〃 Kenny's voice was filled with venom。 〃Of course the other guys noticed it。 You think it could rain corn and not be noticed？ You're the crazy man； not me。〃
〃What did you mean when you said you notice things other people don't？〃
〃Jack and Robbie thought it was strange； but I knew it was more than that。 I knew it meant something。〃
〃A sign？〃
〃What do you take me for？ Some kind of New Age guru？ I just knew that corn doesn't fall from the sky for no reason。〃
Terry realized he had the wrong point of view。 He assumed Kenny would have a mystical interpretation； like most people who prophesied the end of the world。 Terry started over。 〃It must have been more than the corn。 You must have had more clues than that。〃
〃Oh sure。 I used to read these books when I was a kid。 You know； books about strange things； UFO sightings； dinosaurs in Africa； stuff like that。 There were even stories about stuff falling out of the sky。 Mostly ice； but some animals； frogs； fish； even seeds。 It was fun to read about this stuff but I never thought it was true。 I always just figured a tornado； or an airplane； or something dropped this stuff。 After the corn fell on me I began thinking about these things differently。 I started checking。 These things really did happen。 But I couldn't put it together。 Not by myself。 Not until I met Dr。 Piltcher。 He and Dr。 Coombs knew there was something to it 。 。 。 and the others。 It was Dr。 Coombs that found the Zorastrus manuscript。 He knew it was ing； he just didn't know when 。 。 。 not exactly when。〃
Kenny paused； lost in thought。 His face was still facing the window but Terry could see his reflection and his eyes were unfocused and glassy。
〃You finally figured out why it was happening； didn't you？ You and the others。〃
〃Not for a long time。 We just kept researching all the strange incidents we could find。 The regular papers don't report most of this stuff anymore。 Used to； though。 I found stuff going back over a hundred years； but Dr。 Piltcher and Dr。 Coombs showed me it had been going on longer than that。 Zorastrus knew something was ing and predicted it； but we still couldn't make the model work。 Then it came together 。 。 。 started to e 。 。 。 Phat and me 。 。 。 it was the flowers that did it。〃
Kenny's voice faded out after he said 〃flowers。〃
〃The flowers 。 。 。〃 Terry probed gently。
〃Flowers…just fell from the sky…〃 Kenny's tongue began running back and forth over his lips。 The seat belt sign came on before Terry could ask another question； but it didn't matter。 Kenny was gone。 His eyes were fixed and glassy。 They maneuvered him away from the window and then lifted his arms to buckle him in。 Like a wax model； they remained suspended until Terry put them down onto the armrests。
They were still there when the EMTs came to load him onto a stretcher and wheel him off the plane。
Bill and Terry climbed into a waiting van。 When Bill finally spoke； he was clearly disappointed。
〃I was hoping for more。〃
〃He caught us by surprise。 We weren't quite ready。 Still； he gave us something。 You ever heard of a Dr。 Piltcher or Dr。 Coombs？〃
〃No；〃 Bill said。 〃Who was that other o