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〃The biblical plagues are too easy。 Locusts and flies also came out of nowhere。 Too easy！ How about the hail of hot stones as recorded in the Mexican Annals of Cuauhtitlan？〃
〃Could have been meteorites；〃 Dr。 Coombs countered。
〃Nonsense。 Thousands of hot stones falling like hail and bouncing around setting things on fire？ Meteorites burn up in the atmosphere more often than not； and even if they reach the ground they most assuredly don't fall in groups like hail。 Your turn； George。〃
〃Manna from heaven；〃 Coombs suggested； then leaned forward and spoke to the group。 〃Manna was described by the Israelites as a yellowish seed that tasted like oily honeyb。 Most likely it was the seed of a plant； but no one has been able to explain why it fell from the sky。 e to think of it there's no reason it couldn't have been corn。〃
Dr。 Coombs turned； his pale eyes gleaming in his well…tanned face； looking straight at Kenny and disconcerting him。 〃They did grind it and bake bread with it just like corn；〃 Coombs added。 〃And they certainly wouldn't have seen corn before。〃
〃Not bad；〃 Dr。 Piltcher said。 〃You're still pulling from the Bible and the Talmud； but it's creative。 Let me take ambrosia from you。 Homer and Hesiod both refer to honey from heaven。〃
〃The hymns of Rig…Veda refer to madhu falling from clouds。〃
Dr。 Piltcher cleared his throat derisively。 〃That's just another name for ambrosia。〃
〃Maybe。 But if you won't give me credit for it I'll take the red dust that fell on the Mayas。〃
〃Let's stretch this a bit。 Kenny said something about fish falling from the sky。 What if bigger things fell？ What about that； George？ Suggest anything to you？〃 Dr。 Piltcher paused and turned to the rest of the group。 〃Remember back to our debate over the presence of hippos in Europe。〃 Dr。 Piltchei looked first at Petra and then Mrs。 Wayne。 〃Is there anothei way the hippopotami could get to England？〃
Mrs。 Wayne cleared her throat and then suggested in a high…pitched voice； 〃They fell from the sky？〃
〃Possibly。 Possibly。 If corn can fall； if fish can fall； why not a hippo？〃
Kenny was surprised。 Dr。 Piltcher was now willing to abandon the cosmic cataclysm theory he'd espoused only an hour earlier； a thesis that had cost him much time and effort。 Kenny had always agreed that new theories were accepted only when those defending the old theories died off。 But Dr。 Piltchei showed surprising flexibility for a scientist。
Dr。 Coombs rocked forward again； stretching out his feet and knocking over a pile of books。 〃It might explain some othei mysteries。 Did you know they found the skeletons of two whales in Michigan？ Michigan！ Awfully far from the sea； wouldn't you say？〃 Dr。 Coombs said to the group while looking mostly at Kenny。 Not to be outdone； Dr。 Piltcher added to the whale stories。
〃Found a whale skeleton in Quebec too。 Six hundred feet above sea level。 Oh； now that I think about it； they've found whales； hippopotami； rhinoceroses； and elephants in the most unlikely places。 Even in Antarctica。 Not to mention the coniferous trees found in both the arctic and antarctic…〃
〃And； of course； the most famous of all；〃 Dr。 Coombs cut in； 〃the leopard on Mount Kilimanjaro。〃
〃George； what's the name of that Babylonian prophet； the one who was stoned for knowing too much？〃
〃Zorastrus； I believe。〃
〃Yes； yes。 Quite brilliant； he collected events like Kenny has been describing too。 No one believed him either； of course。〃
Dr。 Coombs rubbed his chin with his hand and looked concerned for a minute and then said； 〃This Zorastrus might be worth looking up； I seem to remember he had quite a lot to say about the future。〃
〃Something to pursue later； eh George？ But you do see what I'm getting at；〃 Dr。 Piltcher mused。 〃Until tonight； finding animals in unlikely locations was explained either through migration； which is highly unlikely； or cataclysm； like the shifting of the earth on its axis； which is also unlikely。 Having them fall from the sky is beautiful in its simplicity。 But the sky…fall theory lacks a cause 。 。 。 a source for the effect。〃
Dr。 Piltcher paused and turned to Kenny； the others in the group all did too。 Now more fortable he told them about the flower fall； and the mother and the daughter； and his theory。 As he spoke he watched their faces light up。 They began to add to it。 They brainstormed。 And the theory began to grow。
Kenny became part of the group that night。 He knew other people would call the members of that group kooks； or weirdos； and Kenny would have too a few months ago。 But he saw things from the inside now。 It was an odd group of people； but receptive and even warm。
After that Kenny spent every Saturday night with the group。 He got to know Mrs。 Wayne and witnessed her contacts with Shontel； the spirit guide。 He became friends with Petra。 He met others too。 An elderly couple who ran a local convenience store alternated ing on Saturday nights。 They only listened； though； and never participated。 Others； like Bonnie Smith； came occasionally but were never part of the core。 Bonnie showed up one night with another student； Colter Swenson； who listened attentively but kept glancing at Petra。 The next Saturday Colter showed up without Bonnie and sat by Petra。 Colter became a regular after that。 There were others who came occasionally but were never part of the core。
Two weeks later Dr。 Coombs arrived at the meeting all excited。 He had managed to track down a translation of some of the writings of Zorastrus。 He did indeed live in ancient Babylon and was called a prophet right up until they stoned him to death。 Dr。 Coombs was particularly excited by the discovery of； something called the Apocrypha of Zorastrus。 Some scholar had separated out Zorastrus's collection of stories of things falling from the sky and other bizarre phenomenon from his 〃serious〃 works。 Confirming Kenny's corn fall in an ancient document was reassuring to Kenny。 They also found Zorastrus had his own theory； a theory disconcertingly similar to Kenny's。
With the discovery of the Apocrypha of Zorastrus the group began to meet more often。 Now the group spent Saturday nights trying to understand the events Kenny had researched and those in the Zorastrus manuscript。 They considered other theories besides Kenny's and that of Zorastrus； including those contributed by Shontel； but always returned to Kenny's explanation。
Phat Nyang showed up one night； recruited by Dr。 Piltcher to work with Kenny on puter modeling the theory。 Kenny and Phat worked out a crude puter model suggesting possible causes。 The group critiqued it； and the model was refined； again and again。 As summer approached they made plans to utilize the model。 Dr。 Coombs offered to provide financial support for the summer project。
Kenny now found himself walking around the geyser basin at Old Faithful for the tenth time。 It was more than a mile out to Morning Glory Pool； and he could make the circuit and be back before his pickup time。 It was the third day of the eight…day watch； and he had walked to the pool four times a day； looking at the skies and meadows surrounding the geysers。 A small herd of elk were grazing near Castle Geyser and Kenny paused to watch them before continuing to Morning Glory Pool。
That had been a disappointment to Kenny。 It was only pale blue； not the bright blue…green of the pictures on the postcards。 His trail guide explained tons of coins thrown by tourists had changed the temperature of the pool； causing the colors to fade。 The trail guide referred to the penny…tossing tourists as vandals。 Kenny felt disgust and loss。
Kenny started up the boardwalk to the viewpoint。 Ahead of him he heard loud laughter and looked to see two well…muscled men about his own age leaning over the steaming water。 As he approached one of them spat a big wad of gum into the center of the pool。 The other one laughed uproariously and then flipped a coin in after the gum。 Kenny's temper flared as the man prepared to flip another。 Grabbing the hand with the coins； Kenny slapped it down onto the wooden railing。 Money clattered onto the boardwalk and the man yelped from pain。
〃Whatcha doing； man？〃 he yelled。
Now the other one stepped forward； his face contorted in menace。
〃You'll ruin the pool doing that。〃 Kenny explained。 〃I didn't mean to hurt him； but really； that will change the color of the pool。 Maybe plug it up。〃
〃That's our business；〃 the big one responded； and punched Kenny in the solar plexus。 Kenny's breath exploded from his body and he bent in half。 Then he felt his head jerked up by the hair and he found himself staring in the angry face of the man。 〃You got something to say； you say it to me； not my friend。 You understand？〃
With that Kenny's head was slammed down into the railing。 Kenny put his hands on the rail； protecting his face from the second blow。
〃Stay out of our way！〃 the man yelled and then slapped Kenny's head。
Kenny leaned on the rail； smarting from the slap and gasping for breath； and watched the two men walk down the boardwalk and out of sight。 A family with two kids came down the walk and Kenny turned toward the geyser； trying to hide his face。 A few seconds later he felt a touch on his arm and turned to see the mother