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But it is more than that； it's natural too。〃
〃A natural nuclear attack。 Can you explain that； Kenny？〃
Kenny quickly lost his smile。
〃No； I can't。 I won't。 If I'm wrong you'll all be free soon。 If I'm right you'll be thanking me。 I won't talk anymore。〃
Kenny dug into his backpack and brought out a handful of granola bars and tossed them into the group。
〃Here； eat something。〃
Slowly the group passed them around。 Only the children ate。
7。 CHICKEN LITTLE SUMMER
Seven solor ages are referred to in Mayan manuscripts； in Buddhist sacred books； in the books of the Sibyl。。。。 The 〃suns〃 are explained （by the sources themselves） as consecutive epochs； each of which went down in a great； general destruction。
…Immanuel Velikovsky； Worlds in Collision
Oregon Caves
PREQUILT： SATURDAY； 4：15 P。M。 PST
Kenny sat with his back to the cave entrance and his eyes fixed forward。 He couldn't bring himself to look any of them in the eye。 It was too painful。 He could see what they were thinking。 It didn't matter what the old lady said； or the other man。 They all thought he was crazy。 But I'm not crazy； he told himself over and over again。 I'm not crazy！ He wished the others from Dr。 Piltcher's group were here so they could back him up； testify to what they all sincerely believed。 They had figured it out； but more importantly they had proved it。
Their first real success came just after the Fourth of July。 Kenny and Phat had worked every night in June on the program； trying to refine the geographical and temporal predictions； but felt trapped in a vicious cycle。 If they could successfully predict even a single fall； they could refine their model； but until they predicted a fall； the imperfect model couldn't define the location of an event。 So night after night the other students and volunteers sat at picnic tables in the campgrounds； and by propane light bed through newspapers searching for the impossible。 Dr。 Piltcher and Dr。 Coombs sat at another table； poring over the Zorastrus manuscript and other ancient texts； trying to find historical data to help shape the model。 Phat and Kenny sat in Dr。 Piltcher's RV； writing and rewriting the program。 Around eleven the group would drift off to bed。 Mrs。 Wayne usually retired just before eleven； when her spirit guide Shontel made herself available。 Sometimes Ernie Powell sat with Mrs。 Wayne and listened to her messages from 〃Shontel；〃 but most nights he spent a few minutes in the minivan picking up the baseball scores before retiring to his tent。 On some nights Petra Zalewski and Colter Swenson took a sleeping bag and went for a walk。 Petra was a student at Oregon Institute of Technology； but Colter was enrolled at Southern Oregon State College； which he'd chosen from a list of best 〃party schools〃 he found in Playboy。 They had been strangers before joining the group。 Dr。 Piltcher and Dr。 Coombs often debated late into the evening； long after Kenny and Phat exhausted their creative reservoirs。
The pattern continued； day after day； week after week。 Every few days Dr。 Piltcher and Dr。 Coombs came to Kenny and Phat and asked for a location and a date。 Kenny and Phat ran the program and made the prediction。 Then the group would be on the move again。 They had started in South Dakota and were working roughly west while zigzagging north and south。 Kenny knew if the predictions brought them to the Pacific Coast without success it would be over。
The break came one night in a Montana campground near Glacier National Park。 They spent the early part of the evening shooting off fireworks to celebrate the Fourth of July； and then settled down to b through local newspapers for any strange events that would fit the model。 It was nearly eleven that night when Petra found a story in a local weekly paper about a boy swept off a three…wheeled motorbike by a flash flood。 The boy suffered a broken arm。 Two peculiarities made the story stand out。 First； although flash floods were mon； there had been no rain to account for the flood； at least none anyone reported。 The article quoted a weatherman describing it as a freak local shower。 The second peculiarity was that the nearly drowned boy said the water tasted salty。 After hearing the story； Dr。 Piltcher finger…bed his thin white hair ten strokes before responding。 Ten strokes meant he was convinced。
〃That's one；〃 he said； turning to look at Dr。 Coombs。 〃It's ing； Doctor。〃
Dr。 Coombs nodded solemnly。
〃Mr。 Randall； Mr。 Nyang；〃 Dr。 Piltcher continued。 〃Add this to your model。〃
Kenny and Phat had taken the data and tried to fit it to the model。 Failing that； they worked late into the night adjusting the model to the data。 The next morning Dr。 Piltcher and Dr。 Coombs arrived with the expected request for the location and the time。
〃Thirteen days； plus or minus forty…eight hours；〃 Phat said。
〃And the location？〃 Dr。 Piltcher asked。
〃I've always wanted to see Yellowstone National Park；〃 Kenny answered。
They stayed three more days in the campground； making side trips to libraries； retirement homes； and newspaper offices in local towns； looking for more reports of unusual events。 Petra and Mrs。 Wayne were assigned to find and talk to the boy or his family about the incident。 They found the boy and visited the site； but found no evidence that would help confirm the incident。 No pockets of water； no fish； no aquatic vegetation。 Dr。 Piltcher remained certain though。 〃This；〃 he said after finger…bing his hair six times； 〃was an event。〃
They camped outside of Yellowstone for a few days； making side trips to libraries； newspaper offices； and museums； and then moved in early one morning to make sure they could get enough campsites together。 Yellowstone was the worst possible location to experience an event。 It was forested and mountainous； and while there were numerous meadows and fire…thinned sections of forest； visual identification of an event would be near impossible。 Dr。 Piltcher was particularly frustrated； because he felt so close to success and saw it slipping away。 As the first possible date approached； Dr。 Piltcher and Dr。 Coombs worried over how to distribute observers。 Finally they decided on high viewpoints； open meadows； and the flat open spaces that housed the tourist facilities。
The first day of the event window Kenny was assigned to a spot near Old Faithful to watch the open areas around the lodge。 Petra was assigned a trail head leading to a high meadow where she camped and watched。 Mrs。 Wayne drew a viewpoint overlooking the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone。 Phat Nyang was dropped at road's end on Mount Washburn； with a backpack full of camping gear and enough food for a few days。
He was the most experienced backpacker in the group and the best equipped to climb the trail toward the peak of Mount Washburn。 Colter Swenson went to Roosevelt Lodge to watch the open meadows there。 Ernie Powell stayed at Lake Village by Lake Yellowstone； although Dr。 Piltcher admitted if it happened somewhere over the huge lake； it would be hard to spot。 Dr。 Coombs and Dr。 Piltcher were kept in reserve to begin a rotation in the watch they might have to keep up for eight days。
Everyone rotated from site to site； taking turns off watch to sleep and eat。 Dr。 Piltcher even admonished them not to go to the bathroom unless they were relieved from watch。 〃But don't just watch；〃 he told them over and over； his hands relentlessly bing his hair。 〃Listen。 Listen to what the tourists are saying around you。 This park is full of tourists； all of them with their eyes wide open； and their camcorders running。 We might not see it； but somebody must。〃 It was painful to see Dr。 Piltcher。 He finger…bed his hair incessantly and was always flushed and sweaty。 He was short； overweight； and two years past retirement age； and Kenny sometimes worried that he might have a heart attack。
Kenny had gone to Dr。 Piltcher the previous November； after his experience with the fall。 Dr。 Piltcher was the only one who had listened to him。 Kenny had tried to interest his friends and family in what had happened； but to no avail。 His father had just laughed at him。 His sister was skeptical。 Still； Kenny's obsession with the corn fall grew。
Kenny spent most evenings and weekends in bookstores looking for books on the kind of events he had experienced。 He found those books； and more。 He found old newspaper records of things falling from the sky； and of people disappearing。 He found records of people and things bursting into flames。 He found mystery after mystery； but he found no theory to link these events； let alone to explain them。 Then he found the story in the newspaper about the mother and daughter in a park buried in flowers that poured from the sky。 That's when he got his idea。
He began working on his puter； logging the events； looking for patterns； looking through the eyes of his theory for a way to explain away the mystery。 Kenny wanted corn； ice； water； and fish falling from the sky to bee natural and predictable。 But he had little success until he met Dr。 Piltcher。 On a flyer tacked to a bulletin board in the Student Union building； he read that Dr。 Piltcher would be giving a talk the next night on 〃Cataclysm and Its Role in Cultural