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ween the buildings； walking upright； taking long powerful strides。
Mariel remembered the men had guns and she turned to warn them not to fire。
〃He won't hurt you。 I'll take care of him。 Let me send him back to his meadow。〃 Her words fell on deaf ears。 The men were so terrified by the size and fearsome appearance of the iguanodon； they weren't listening。 Still； they held their fire。
Mariel knew the iguanodon was in danger； and she pushed out her arms trying to send him back。 On he came； however； oblivious of the danger。 As he approached Mariel he began to bend； ing slowly over and lowering his head until he was down on all fours just behind her。 Still the men held their fire。 Mariel stepped forward and pushed on the dinosaur's jaw； telling him to go away。 The dinosaur held its ground； then slowly the huge jaws opened to their full expanse。 Mariel found herself staring in the iguanodon's cavernous mouth as a deep rumbling began and out came a loud 〃aaaaaaaaaahhhhhhh！〃 From the far end of the barrier a shot rang out。 A hole appeared just behind the dinosaur's jaw。 His mouth snapped shut at the impact and he stared into Mariel's eyes for a few heartbeats。 Then he reared； rising to his full height and screaming at the same time。 Every pistol behind the barrier fired and Mariel watched bloody holes pepper the thick skin of the iguanodon's neck。
Mariel's heart ached and she screamed for the shooting to stop。 It didn't。 More holes appeared along his neck and chest。 Sobbing； she ran toward the shooting men waving her arms。 Then just as quickly as it began the shooting ended。 Mariel turned to see the wounded dinosaur walking down the street toward his meadow。 He was walking upright； but slowly； his head hung low。 A low rumbling groan came from his throat with each jarring step。
〃Oh； no。 Don't go！〃 Mariel called after him。 〃Please e back。〃 But he didn't。 She went after him； hurrying to catch up。 She heard Luis shout something behind her； but she ignored him。 All she could see and hear was her injured iguanodon friend。
The dinosaur strode out into the meadow… Mariel chased behind； trying to catch up； but even； injured； the iguanodon's giant stride kept him moving ahead。
At the meadow she found a new horror awaiting her。 The crushed grass that marked the iguanodon's trail was smeared with blood。 Her tears began to flow again。 〃Oh no；〃 she whispered over and over； 〃oh no！〃 Then Mariel wiped her eyes and followed the bloody trail。
Groggy； Luis got to his feet； but he staggered when he stepped toward his building。 He heard laughter behind him。 Barton and the others were bragging about how many bullets they put into the dinosaur。
〃Pow； man； right in the jaw。 Did you see my shot； man？〃
〃Your shot？ Sheee…it。 My shot。 Believe it。〃
〃Believe shit； man。〃
Inside； Luis sat on the stairs to rest。 When his head cleared a little and the spinning subsided； he climbed the stairs slowly； pausing on each one。 He made the third floor and staggered down the hall into Mrs。 Weatherby's apartment…to her rocking chair by the window。 He collapsed and rocked gently。 When his head stopped throbbing he opened his eyes and looked out the window into the meadow。 The last thing Luis saw before sleep took him was the iguanodon walking slowly into the meadow followed by a small figure。
39。 BLACK RIPPLE
The weakest force in nature is gravity。 It takes the entire mass of the earth just to make a leaf fall to the ground。 But condense the mass of the earth to the size of a marble； and you have a black hole； where the laws of time and space； as we know them； cease to exist。
…Merlin Constantine； Of Time and Space
Washington； D。C。
POSTQUILT： TUESDAY； 8：00 A。M。 EST
The President was more than tired。 He was afraid； and he was desperate。
Nick had taken the President's alien theory as a naive attempt to cover all possibilities； but Nick wasn't as sure now。 He saw the President as a drowning man； grasping at straws。
The President would be open to Nick's new theory…but perhaps too open。 The President spoke calmly and in a controlled manner； but his fingers told another story as he reflexively twirled a twisted paper clip。 Nick looked up to catch Elizabeth Hawthorne's eye。 Normally inscrutable； now she looked wor…ried…about what had happened； or about the President？ Nick wondered。
The order of reports on the agenda was the same； and Nick had to wait through the military assessments again。 There was still no identified strategic threat； so the reports focused on losses。 In addition to the loss of the ELF system； contact had been lost with seven military bases in the United States； including one SAC bomber base； several bases on foreign soil； an aircraft carrier group； and several other individual ships。 There were also munication problems with some Landsat and civilian weather satellites and loss of contact with some military KH 13 satellites。 Until contact could be reestablished； the military was substituting aerial reconnaissance of the affected areas。
Samuel Cannon's report included a confirmation that all of the black bag projects were suspended； as the President had ordered。 The CIA's report also included a surprise： no confirmation of the dinosaurs in Oregon； but a confirmed report of dinosaurs in Quebec； with photos。 The CIA director's aide passed around copies。 Nick had trouble believing what he was seeing。 The heavily armored animal walking past a barn was five feet at the shoulders and fifteen feet in length。 Its body was bulky； but the head was small for an animal this size； and its tail was as armored as the rest of the body and tipped with two spikes。 It looked like an overgrown armadillo。 Cannon reported their experts identified it as a living ankylosaur…an animal extinct since the end of the Cretaceous period。
Everyone at the table turned to look at Nick with new respect…except Gogh； who kept his eyes on the photograph。
The report on the civilian situation had new dimensions of horror。 Part of Mobile； Alabama； was a lava field now； and the rest a firestorm。 An avalanche of steaming mud had buried Aspen； Colorado。 Omaha was inundated by a wall of water roaring across the wheatfields。 Lake Tahoe had overflowed its banks； drowning the cities of South Tahoe and Stateline。
U。S。 military bases also were reporting on overseas effects。 Part of Paris was forest； and most of Rome； including the Vatican； was missing。 London was untouched； but there were severe tidal wave losses along most of the English coast。 Scotland was gone。 Russia and the Ukraine were the only East European countries still municating； and their reports had a familiar ring。 Countries all over South America and Africa were pleading for help。 From Central America came reports of missing cities and villages and strange animals roaming the countryside。 The Panama Canal would have to be redug。
The reports were bleak； endless； and repetitive； and soon； under Elizabeth's urging； the President cut it off with a curt 〃thank you〃 and then moved down the agenda。
When Nick's turn came he asked that Colonel Conrad； Dr。 Roberts； and Sergeant Yamamoto be admitted。 The first two took seats against the wall while Yamamoto went immediately to the puter。 Colonel Conrad looked fortable； every inch the confident professional。 Dr。 Roberts looked ill at ease but Yamamoto appeared almost gleeful。 The chance to sit with the Security Council and hear the secrets of the secret was his fantasy bee reality。
Yamamoto's puter was linked to a special overhead projector； which enlarged the puter images and projected them on a wall screen。 Now he called up the list of events and dates。
Nick began； 〃Mr。 President； we have a theory that may help us explain what has happened。 If you remember my earlier report I said that what appears to have happened could best be described as time displacement。 1 still believe that to be true； and the photo of the ankylosaur and other evidence support the theory。 I also said that it might be a natural phenomenon。 I was wrong about that。〃
Heads turned and mumbling filled the room。 Elizabeth leaned forward and whispered in the President's ear。 He nodded and then spoke。
〃If it was not natural then was it an attack