jak.themothmanprophecies- 第4节

　　
　　One　of　the　proved　hoaxes　of　1897　（there　were　many　hoaxes；　largely　the　work　of　mischievous　newspapermen）　concerned　an　object　which　is　supposed　to　have　crashed　into　Judge　Proctor's　windmill　in　Aurora；　Texas。　The　remains　of　a　tiny　pilot　were　supposedly　found　in　the　wreckage　and　buried　in　the　local　cemetery　by　the　townspeople。　The　story　was　published　in　the　Dallas　Evening　News。　From　time　to　tune；　Aurora　was　visited　by　self…styled　investigators　who　sifted　the　dirt　on　the　old　Proctor　farm　and　marched　through　the　cemetery　reading　tombstones；　always　without　finding　anything。
　　
　　The　story　was　revived　in　1972；　and　in　1973　a　man　identifying　himself　as　Frank　N。　Kelley　of　Corpus　Christi　arrived　in　Aurora。　He　said　he　was　a　treasure　hunter　of　long　experience。　He　set　to　work　with　his　metal　detectors　and　instruments　and　quickly　unearthed　several　fragments　of　metal　near　the　windmill　site。　They　appeared　to　be　something　like　the　skin　of　modern　aircraft；　he　announced。　He　kept　some　of　the　pieces　and　turned　the　rest　over　to　a　reporter　named　Bill　Case。　Analysis　showed　the　pieces　were　98　percent　aluminum。
　　
　　Kelley's　alleged　discovery　created　a　stampede　to　Aurora。　UFO　investigators　descended　from　as　far　away　as　Illinois　and　battled　for　permission　to　dig　up　graves　in　the　cemetery。　The　story　received　wide　play　in　the　national　press　in　the　summer　of　1973。
　　
　　〃When　efforts　were　made　to　find　Frank　Kelley　in　Corpus　Christi　it　was　found　that　he　had　given　a　phony　address　and　phone　number；　and　that　no　one　in　treasure…hunting　circles　have　ever　heard　of　him。　Mr。　Kelley　was　apparently　another　one　of　the　impressive　but　elusive　hoaxsters　who　haunt　the　UFO　field。　The　joke　was　pointless；　expensive；　and；　sadly；　very　successful。
　　
　　IV。
　　
　　The　moment　I　met　Mrs。　Hyre's　niece　Connie　Carpenter　in　1966；　I　knew　she　was　telling　the　truth　because　her　eyes　were　reddened；　watery；　and　almost　swollen　shut。　I　had　seen　these　symptoms　many　times　in　my　treks　around　the　country　investigating　UFO　reports。　Witnesses　who　were　unlucky　enough　to　have　a　close　encounter　with　an　unidentified　flying　object；　usually　a　dazzlingly　brilliant　aerial　light；　are　exposed　to　actinic　rays　。。。　ultraviolet　rays　。。。　which　can　cause　〃eyeburn；〃　medically　known　as　klieg　conjunctivitis。　These　are　the　same　kind　of　rays　that　tan　your　hide　at　the　beach。　If　you　lie　in　the　bright　sun　without　protecting　your　eyes　you　can　get　conjunctivitis。　Whatever　they　are；　UFOs　radiate　intense　actinic　rays。　There　are　now　thousands　of　cases　in　which　the　witnesses　suffered　eye…burns　and　temporary　eye　damage　。。。　even　temporary　blindness　。。。　after　viewing　a　strange　flying　light　in　the　night　sky。
　　
　　One　of　the　most　extreme　cases　of　UFO　blindness　occurred　on　the　night　of　Wednesday；　October　3；　1973；　in　southeastern　Missouri。　Eddie　Webb；　forty…five；　of　Greenville；　saw　a　luminous　object　in　his　rear…view　mirror。　He　put　his　head　out　the　window　of　his　truck　and　looked　back。　There　was　a　bright　white　flash。　Webb　threw　his　hands　to　his　face；　crying；　〃Oh；　my　God！　I'm　burned！　I　can't　see！〃　One　lens　had　fallen　from　his　glasses　and　the　frames　were　melted。　His　wife　took　over　the　wheel　of　their　vehicle　and　drove　him　to　a　hospital。　Fortunately；　the　damage　was　not　permanent。
　　
　　What　puzzled　me　about　Connie's　case；　however；　was　that　she　had　not　seen　a　splendid　luminous　flying　saucer。　She　had　seen　a　giant　〃winged　man〃　in　broad　daylight。
　　
　　According　to　her　story；　Connie；　a　shy；　sensitive　eighteen…year…old；　was　driving　home　from　church　at　10：30　A。M。　on　Sunday；　November　27；　1966；　when；　as　she　passed　the　deserted　greens　of　the　Mason　County　Golf　Course　outside　of　New　Haven；　West　Virginia；　she　suddenly　saw　a　huge　gray　figure。　It　was　shaped　like　a　man；　she　said；　but　was　much　larger。　It　was　at　least　seven　feet　tall　and　very　broad。　The　thing　that　attracted　her　attention　was　not　its　size　but　its　eyes。　It　had；　she　said；　large；　round；　fiercely　glowing　red　eyes　that　focused　on　her　with　hypnotic　effect
　　
　　〃It's　a　wonder　I　didn't　run　off　the　road　and　have　a　wreck；〃　she　mented　later。
　　
　　As　she　slowed；　her　eyes　fixed　on　the　apparition；　a　pair　of　wings　unfolded　from　its　back。　They　seemed　to　have　a　span　of　about　ten　feet。　It　was　definitely　not　an　ordinary　bird　but　a　man…shaped　thing　which　rose　slowly　off　the　ground；　straight　up　like　a　helicopter；　silently。　Its　wings　did　not　flap　in　flight。　It　headed　straight　toward　Connie's　car；　its　horrible　eyes　fixed　to　her　face；　then　it　swooped　low　over　her　head　as　she　shoved　the　accelerator　to　the　floorboards　in　utter　hysteria。
　　
　　Over　one　hundred　people　would　see　this　bizarre　creature　that　whiter。
　　
　　Connie's　conjunctivitis　lasted　over　two　weeks；　apparently　caused　by　those　glowing　red　eyes。　At　the　tune　of　my　first　visit　to　Point　Pleasant　in　1966　I　did　not　relate　the　winged　weirdo　to　flying　saucers。　Later　events　not　only　proved　that　a　relationship　existed；　but　that　relationship　also　is　a　vital　clue　to　the　whole　mystery。
　　
　　V。
　　
　　Max's　Kansas　City　is　a　famous　watering　hole　for　New　York's　hip　crowd。　In　the　summer　of　1967　an　oddball　character　wandered　into　that　restaurant　noted　for　its　oddball　clientele。　He　was　tall　and　awkward；　dressed　in　an　ill…fitting　black　suit　that　seemed　out　of　style。　His　chin　came　to　a　sharp　point　and　his　eyes　bulged　slightly　like　〃thyroid　eyes。〃　He　sat　down　in　a　booth　and　gestured　to　the　waitress　with　his　long；　tapering　fingers。
　　
　　〃Something　to　eat；〃　he　mumbled。　The　waitress　handed　him　a　menu。　He　stared　at　it　unprehendingly；　apparently　unable　to　read。　〃Food；〃　he　said　almost　pleadingly。
　　
　　〃How　about　a　steak？〃　she　offered。
　　
　　〃Good。〃
　　
　　She　brought　him　a　steak　with　all　the　trimmings。　He　stared　at　it　for　a　long　moment　and　then　picked　up　his　knife　and　fork；　glancing　around　at　the　other　diners。　It　was　obvious　he　did　not　know　how　to　handle　the　implements！　The　waitress　watched　him　as　he　fumbled　helplessly。　Finally　she　showed　him　how　to　cut　the　steak　and　spear　it　with　the　fork。　He　sawed　away　at　the　meat。　Clearly　he　really　was　hungry。
　　
　　〃Where　are　you　from？〃　she　asked　gently。
　　
　　〃Not　from　here。〃
　　
　　〃Where？〃
　　
　　〃Another　world。〃
　　
　　Boy；　another　put…on　artist；　she　thought　to　herself。　The　other　waitresses　gathered　in　a　corner　and　watched　him　as　he　fumbled　with　his　food；　a　stranger　in　a　strange　land。
　　
　　VI。
　　
　　A　large　white　car　with　a　faulty　muffler　wheezed　and　rattled　up　the　back　street　in　New　Haven；　West　Virginia；　where　Connie　Carpenter　lived；　and　Jack　Brown　knocked　at　her　door。
　　
　　〃I'm　a…a　friend　of　Mary　Hyre's。〃
　　
　　His　strange　demeanor　and　disjointed　questions　distressed　her　and　disturbed　her　husband；　Keith；　and　her　brother　Larry。　It　quickly　became　obvious　that　he　was　not　particularly　interested　in　Connie's　sighting　of　the　man…bird　the　year　before。　He　seemed　mainly　concerned　with　Mrs。　Hyre　and　my　own　relationship　with　her　（we　were　professional　friends；　nothing　more）。
　　
　　〃What　do　you　think…if…what　would　Mary　Hyre　do…　if　someone　told　her　to　stop　writing　about　UFOs？〃　he　asked。
　　
　　〃She'd　probably　tell　them　to　drop　dead；〃　Connie　replied。
　　
　　Most　of　his　questions　were　stupid；　even　unintelligible。　After　a　rambling　conversation　he　drove　off　into　the　night　in　his　noisy　car。　Connie　called　her　aunt　immediately；　puzzled　and　upset　by　the　visit。　He　was　such　a　very　odd　man；　she　noted；　and　he　wouldn't　speak　at　all　if　you　weren't　looking　directly　into　his　dark；　hypnotic　eyes。　Connie；　Keith　and　Larry　not　only　noticed　his　long…fingered　hands；　but　there　was　also　something　very　peculiar　about　his　ears。　They　couldn't　say　exactly　what。　But　there　was　something　。。。。
　　
　　VII。
　　
　　〃Did　you　ever　hear　of　anyone…especially　an　air　force　officer…trying　to　drink　Jell…O？〃　Mrs。　Ralph　Butler　of　Owatonna；　Minnesota；　asked。　〃Well；　that's　what　he　did。　He　acted　like　he　had　never　seen　any　before。　He　picked　up　the　bowl　and　tried　to　drink　it。　I　had　to　show　him　how　to　eat　it　with　a　spoon。〃
　　
　　Mrs。　Butler　was　describing　the　man　who　had　visited　her　in　May　1967；　following　a　flurry　of　UFO　sightings　in　Owatonna。　He　said　he　was　Major　Richard　French　of　the　U。S。　Air　Force　although　he　was　dressed　in　civilian　cloth