jak.themothmanprophecies- 第21节

　　
　　Tiny　concluded　his　interview　less　than　an　hour　after　he　arrived。　It　was　probably　precisely　forty　minutes；　just　as　he　promised。　He　donned　his　hat　and　coat　and　told　Ed　he　would　be　notified　by　mail　within　ten　days。
　　
　　Arline　was　in　the　kitchen　when　he　left　and　she　decided　she　was　going　to　watch　him　and　see　where　he　went。　She　stepped　out　of　the　kitchen　door　and　stood　in　the　dark　watching　the　big　man　as　he　walked　toward　the　road。　〃His　shoes　squished　loudly　as　he　walked；〃　she　noted。　When　he　reached　the　road；　he　made　a　gesture　with　his　hand　and　a　black　1963　Cadillac　drove　through　the　trees　and　pulled　up。　It　was　driving　in　the　pitch…dark　with　its　headlights　out　so　she　couldn't　see　the　driver。　Tiny　climbed　into　the　car　and　it　drove　away；　its　headlights　still　out。　…
　　
　　The　next　morning　Ed　was　alone　in　the　house　when　the　phone　rang。　A　female　voice　explained　she　was　calling　about　the　missing…heir　interview。　〃We've　located　the　Edward　Christiansen　we　were　looking　for　in　California；〃　she　explained。　Ed　said　he　had　felt　sure　he　wasn't　the　right　one；　thanked　her；　and　hung　up。　When　he　told　his　family　about　the　call；　they　all　dismissed　the　incident　from　their　minds　until　my　interview　with　them。
　　
　　The　wire　running　up　the　leg　is　one　feature　I　have　been　unable　to　fit　into　my　research　in　other　MIB　cases。　It　has　never　been　repeated。　Was　Tiny　wearing　electric　socks？　Or　was　he　a　wired　android　operated　by　remote　control？
　　
　　As　for　his　badge；　I　suspect　that　the　K　was　really　the　Greek　letter　sigma　＇E＇；　which　has　turned　up　repeatedly　in　other　UFO　cases；　and　is　often　used　by　scientists　to　express　the　strange　or　unknown。
　　
　　III
　　
　　Two　days　after　Tiny；　the　pop…eyed　missing…heirs　investigator；　invaded　Cape　May；　Mothman；　the　pop…eyed　pterodactyl；　visited　Tiny's　restaurant　in　Point　Pleasant。　At　5　P。M。　on　January　11；　1967；　Mrs。　Mabel　McDaniel　was　walking　near　the　drive…in　restaurant　when　she　saw　an　object　soaring　down　Route　62。
　　
　　〃I　thought　it　was　an　airplane；　then　I　realized　it　was　flying　much　too　low；〃　she　said。　She　had　been　living　with　Mothman　witnesses　for　two　months　but　never　expected　to　see　the　critter　herself。　Nor　did　she　want　to。　Knowing　that　she　was　psychologically　prepared　to；　maybe；　even　hallucinate　a　sighting；　I　interviewed　her　very　carefully　afterward。　Her　story　held　up。　This　was　a　real　sighting。
　　
　　She　froze　in　her　tracks；　scarcely　believing　her　eyes。
　　
　　〃I　thought　I　could　see　two　legs　。。。　like　men's　legs　。。。　hanging　down　from　it。　It　circled　low　over　Tiny's　and　then　flew　off。〃　She　could　not　see　any　head　or　neck；　the　wings　were　motionless；　and　it　was　pletely　silent。　In　a　way；　it　sounded　almost　like　a　hang…glider。　But　hang…gliding　was　almost　a　pletely　unknown　sport　in　1967。　（*）　Mrs。　McDaniel　was　nervous　and　excited　afterward　but　suffered　no　ill　effects。
　　
　　IV。
　　
　　Gwendoline　Martino　and　her　daughter　returned　from　Europe　in　January　and　visited　the　Christiansens　a　few　days　after　Tiny　rode　off　in　his　darkened　Cadillac。　At　3　A。M。　on　January　13；　1967；　Gwen　and　Connie；　who　were　sharing　a　room；　were　awakened　by　a　loud　sound　seeming　to　e　from　directly　overhead。　The　sounds　were　distant　at　first；　like　someone　hammering　on　metal　with　a　rubber　mallet　or；　possibly；　walking　over　a　metal　surface。　The　noises　grew　steadily　louder　until　they　were　deafening。　〃The　whole　house　seemed　to　shake；〃　Gwen　said。　When　she　started　to　get　up　to　investigate；　the　sounds　stopped　instantly。　As　soon　as　she　was　back　in　bed；　they　began　again。　The　two　women　debated　whether　they　should　wake　up　Ed　Christiansen；　a　heavy　sleeper。　Gwen　started　to　get　out　of　bed　again；　and　again　the　noises　stopped。　Finally　they　faded　away。
　　
　　Two　evenings　later　Mr。　and　Mrs。　Christiansen　returned　home　to　find　their　children　in　a　very　distraught　state。　They　had　heard　the　strange　hammering　sound　again；　followed　by　heavy　footsteps　crunching　through　the　thick　snow　outside　the　house。　Connie's　nineteen…year…old　boyfriend　was　present　and　he　had　looked　out　a　window　in　time　to　see　a　tall　figure　hurrying　away　from　the　house。　It　was　wearing　a　long　white　cape　and　when　it　reached　a　five…foot…high　fence　it　leaped　effortlessly　over　it　and　disappeared　on　the　other　side。
　　
　　The　next　morning　Ed　Christiansen　examined　the　area　for　footprints。　He　found　a　set　of　large　human　tracks　deeply　imbedded　in　the　snow；　leading　to　the　fence　and　continuing　on　the　other；　side。　These　footprints　went　on　to　another　building　some　distance　away　and　stopped　abruptly　at　the　wall　of　the　structure。　There　were　no　other　footprints　around　the　building；　an　old　abandoned　shed；　and　the　witnesses　were　puzzled　as　to　where　the　person　could；　have　gone。　Like　our　hairy　monsters；　little　green　Martians；　and　Mothman；　the　caped　intruder　had　vanished　into　nothingness。
　　
　　
　　
　　＇*＇　Hang…gliders　are　lightweight　frames　covered　with　nylon。　They　look　something　like　kites　and　the　rider　hangs　underneath　on　bars　and　straps。　They　are　launched　from　steep　hills　or　cliffs。　Route　62　runs　along　the　edge　of　the　Ohio　River　and　the　terrain　is　very　flat。　
　　
　　
　　
　　V
　　
　　Enter　Tad　Jones；　a　rarity　among　UFO　witnesses　because　of　his　very　mon　name。　A　gentle；　handsome　man　in　his　thirties；　Mr。　Jones　was　a　deeply　religious　person　who　did　not　smoke　or　drink。　In　1967；　he　lived　in　Dunbar；　a　suburb　of　Charleston；　West　Virginia；　and　managed　an　appliance　store　at　a　place　called　Cross　Lanes。　Urbane；　intelligent；　and　articulate；　he　was　one　of　the　most　impressive　UFO　witnesses　I　have　met　in　my　travels。
　　
　　At　9：05　A。M。　on　the　morning　of　January　19；　1967；　Tad　was　driving　to　his　store　along　the　newly　pleted　multi…lane　highway；　Route　64；　about　ten　miles　outside　of　Charleston。　A　large　object　was　blocking　the　road　ahead　of　him　and　he　first　assumed　it　was　a　vehicle　being　used　by　a　construction　gang　still　working　on　the　highway。　But　as　he　drew　closer　he　saw　that　it　was　hovering　in　the　air；　about　four　feet　off　the　ground。
　　
　　〃It　was　a　large　metal　sphere；〃　he　said。　〃Since　it　was　broad　daylight　I　got　a　very　good　look　at　it。　It　was　about　twenty　feet　in　diameter　and　was　the　color　of　dull　aluminum。〃
　　
　　He　slowed　his　car　and　studied　the　thing　for　about　two　minutes。
　　
　　〃There　were　four　legs　attached　to　it；〃　he　continued；　〃with　casterlike　wheels　on　the　bottom　of　each　one。　And　there　was　a　small　window　about　nine　inches　in　diameter　on　the　side　facing　me。　But　I　couldn't　see　anything　inside　the　sphere。　On　the　underside　there　was　something　like　a　propeller。　It　was　idling　when　I　first　drove　up；　then　it　started　spinning　faster　and　the　whole　object　began　to　rise　upward。　It　disappeared　into　the　sky　and　I　drove　on　to　my　store。〃
　　
　　Shaken　and　puzzled　by　his　sighting；　he　decided　to　call　the　police　and　report　it。　His　story　quickly　found　its　way　into　the　local　papers。
　　
　　The　next　morning　a　crude　note　was　slipped　under　his　door　in　Dunbar。　Written　on　ordinary　notebook　paper　in　block　letters；　it　stated：　〃We　know　what　you　have　seen　and　we　know　that　you　have　talked。　You'd　better　keep　your　mouth　shut。〃　He　decided　it　had　to　be　the　work　of　some　local　prankster。
　　
　　In　nearby　St。　Albans；　Mr。　Ralph　Jarrett；　a　chemical　engineer　and　the　local　UFO　authority；　was　shaving　that　morning　when　his　telephone　rang。　He　put　down　his　razor　and　went　into　the　bedroom　to　pick　up　the　extension。
　　
　　〃I　heard　a　very　clear　'beep…beep'　sound；〃　Jarrett　said；　〃The　beeping　continued　for　about　two；　maybe　three　minutes。　Then　the　phone　went　dead　and　the　dial　tone　came　on。　I've　heard　all　sorts　of　code　transmissions　on　shortwave；　but　nothing　quite　like　that。〃
　　
　　He　went　downstairs　to　breakfast；　opened　his　copy　of　The　Charleston　Gazette；　and　read　about　Tad　Jones's　sighting　。。。　the　first　he　had　heard　of　it。　Jarrett；　an　aggressive；　loquacious　middle…aged　man；　was　a　highly　qualified　investigator。　He　later　contacted　Jones　and　conducted　a　thorough　study　of　the　case。　He　discovered　the　object　had　been　hovering　directly　above　a　major　gas　line　which　passed　under　the　road。　（There　have　been　other　sightings　of　UFOs　directly　over　buried　gas　lines。）
　　
　　A　few　days　later；　another　note　was　slipped　under　the　door　of　Jones's　home　in　Dunbar。　This　one　was　written　on　a　piece　of　cardb