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〃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 one？ Phat？ I'll put some people on it。 If they were like Kenny they might be holed up in a cave somewhere； maybe with their relatives。 I'll have someone research that name。 The prophet。 What was his name？〃
〃Zorastrus。〃
〃Yeah； ever hear of him？ Me neither。 What was it he said about things falling from the sky？ Flowers and corn from the sky？ You think Portland and New York were buried by something from the sky？ That's not what the reports say。 They say gone； and gone is a lot different from buried。〃
〃No； but I remember something about flowers falling from the sky。in one of those books of his 。 。 。 no； one of those articles。 He said the flowers were the clue。〃
The bags of articles from Kenny's room were in the back of the van； and Bill and Terry opened them； searching for the file folder。 They found it in the bundle they'd made from the bedspread。
Terry read the article aloud； but nothing in the article gave them a clue to what had happened。 A mother and her five…year…old daughter were sitting in a park in Hiroshima； Japan； when it began to rain flowers…the flowers were wildflowers； with grasses； mostly white flowers； but some of other colors too。 Although the shower lasted less than a minute it was enough to nearly bury the little girl。 No one could explain where the flowers came from。 When Terry finished； he felt the same tickle he felt before in Kenny's room。
Bill shook his head。 〃I get nothing； Terry。 How about you？ Read it again。〃
The van kept starting and stopping in traffic。 Reading in a car always made Terry sick to his stomach； but now he felt particularly ill。 He ignored the creeping nausea； still； the second reading added nothing； the tickle was still there。
〃Bill； let's try brainstorming。 We'll take turns saying whatever es to mind。 Don't try to judge your ideas。 Let any idea our。 I'll start。 Flowers from the sky。〃
〃You mean like word association？ Tulips？〃
〃Anything。 Park； people； picnic。〃
〃Mother； daughter； family； apple pie 。。。 make that sushi。〃
〃Japan； Hiroshima 。 。 。〃
〃World War II； Nagasaki。〃
The tickle turned to an itch and then into an idea。
〃The bomb？ You think the bomb did this？〃
〃That's the first thing I thought of； Terry； but fission bombs don't drop flowers on people。 These bombs fry people； not decorate them。 If there is a connection then maybe there's an article about something falling on Nagasaki。 I wonder…where did that fall on Kenny？〃
They split up the articles looking for something from Nagasaki but found nothing。 They then looked for articles from cities near the now closed Nevada nuclear test site； but to no avail。 They were still searching the books when the van stopped。
Terry helped bring Kenny's things into a brick town house indistinguishable from many other such D。C。 structures。 There was no sign on the front of the building； and no guards stood in the lobby； but Bill had to use an elevator key to get to the floor he wanted。 There the doors slid open to two armed airmen who questioned them thoroughly。 Bill was given a badge； but Terry had to have his photo ID made on the spot。
Bill knew his way around and led Terry to a conference room。 He had the guards spill the bags onto the oversize table and then began sifting through the contents。 He found the puter disks； and the hard drive； then led Terry down the hall through another security check and into a room filled with puter terminals and work stations。 One station was occupied by a pretty black woman who didn't look much older than Terry's daughter； Carolyn。 She smiled when Bill headed directly for her。 She wasn't wearing a uniform but Bill called her Lieutenant Gillespie。
〃I thought you were on vacation； sir。〃
〃I was； but something brought me back。〃
〃It wouldn't be a few missing cities； three air bases； an aircraft carrier group； not to mention the loss of the ELF system？〃
Terry had a sudden urge to run to the nearest airport and catch a flight home。 One missing city had bee two； and now a 〃few。〃 Bill must have been equally shocked but merely said calmly； 〃I need an analysis of these as soon as possible。〃 As always； he was the consumate professional。
〃Colonel； I'll give if highest priority； but it will take at least several hours。〃
Bill and Terry waited while Lieutenant Gillespie copied the disks and the files from the hard drive。 When she returned them Bill asked her if she had ever heard of an ancient prophet called Zorastrus。
〃I've heard of Zorro；〃 she said with a smile。
Bill thanked her and then led Terry through another door。 At the end of a hall Bill turned into a room that was filled with puter parts and repair equipment。 He exchanged a few words with the counter man and then led Terry to the back； past shelves filled with parts。 In a small room filled with more bits and pieces of puters was an Asian man of about thirty； with thick black hair and rumpled clothes。 His nose was six inches away from a puter screen。 Several Styrofoam cups of old coffee surrounded him。 Monitors； puters； and keyboards were lying everywhere。 The beeps of a puter game filled the room。
〃Phil； I need a favor。〃
Phil punched the tab button with his little finger and the game froze on the screen。
〃Official or unofficial？〃
〃An unofficial favor but official business。〃
〃Classified； top secret stuff？〃 Phil asked eagerly。
〃Tip top secret。 I shouldn't even be showing it to you。〃
〃All right！ Let me see。〃
Bill handed him two boxes of disks and the hard drive。 Phil soon had a screen full of icons。
〃What gives？ You promised me something secret。 This isn't even access protected。 No challenge； no deal。〃
〃The challenge is figuring out what it all means。 No one else has been able to figure it out。〃
〃No one？〃 Phil asked hopefully。
〃Two CIA cryptographers got canned because they couldn't figure it out；〃 Bill lied。
〃Hot damn。 I'm on it。 What should I look for？ A message？ Diagrams？ Plans？〃
〃I wouldn't want to send you down the wrong path。 I'll check back with you。 Call me if you get something。〃
They started to leave； but then Bill turned back。
〃Hey； Phil。 You ever hear of Zorastrus？〃
〃Yeah； the prophet of Babylon；〃 Phil said without taking his eyes from the puter screen。 〃Pretty astute guy。 Not as well known as Nostradamus。 Probably because his career got cut short。 Some of his short…sighted contemporaries thought he was a little too smart。 They put him in a pit and stoned him。〃 Phil looked up at Bill and Terry with a serious face。 〃Does he have anything to do with what's happened？ He made some pretty scary predictions。〃
〃Don't know； Phil。 Honestly。〃
As they left； Bill directed Terry to a phone so he could call his daughter； Carolyn； who was full of questions Terry couldn't or wouldn't answer； but otherwise she was fine。 After assuring Carolyn he would call as soon as he found out about John； Terry caught up with Bill。
〃You really think that Phil will turn up anything？〃
〃Terry； there's two ways to pick a lock。 One is to work through it systematically。 Start with zero right； zero left； zero right； and then try zero right； zero left； one right。 Eventually you will open that lock。 Lieutenant Gillespie's people will do it that way。 Phil…well； he's an unguided missile with an uncanny record of hitting targets； targets he wasn't aiming for。 He knew about Zorastrus； didn't he？〃
〃So why is he fixing puters？〃
〃Partly by choice； but mostly because he's the biggest blabbermouth in the service。 He couldn't keep a secret if his life depended on it； but in this case it doesn't matter。 Even God couldn't cover this up。〃
28。 THE BROOD
The lost age of Man will be the great transfiguration and society； and the world； will never be the same； I can see no further ages； not because they will not e； but because the future is confused。
…The Prophecies of Melchi…Zedek
Warm Springs Indian Reservation； Oregon
POSTQUILT： MONDAY； 6：50 A。M。 PST
Colter was the first out of the RV in the morning； looking for a place to relieve himself。 But as soon as he stepped out he started cussing。 Sid and three of his friends were waiting under the RV and darted out when Colter stepped down； nearly making him wet his pants。 Still cussing over the scare； he placed his bare foot in psittacosaurus droppings。 Colter loosed another barrage of profanity while wiping his foot on the grass。 When he finally got far enough away to urinate； Sid and friends ran around harassing him。 Colter pissed at them as they ran by but missed them and sprinkled his foot by mistake。 He cussed some more and began wiping his foot again。 His cussing was so loud and long； the others were up when he got back。 Colter intended to climb back into his sleeping bag； but someone had rolled it up while he was gone。
Dr。 Coombs cooked bacon and eggs and sour dough biscuits while the others cleaned up the RV and prepared for the morning activities。
The morning was cool but fortable； so they ate outside under the tarp。 Sid and two other psittacosauri circled around the table； darting in and out； snatching up any scraps as s