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Timothy wondered if Sandier was drunk Was this what he considered urgent business?
Before Timothy could respond, Sandier said, "I think it’s happened! By God, Dr Flyte I think it’s actually happened! It’s in the newspaper tonight And on the radio Not many details yet But it sure looks as if it’s happened"
The professor’s worry about the book contract was now compounded by exasperation "Could you please be more specific, Mr Sandler?"
"The ancient eneain Just yesterday A town in California So Hundreds An entire town Gone"
"God help theot a friend in the London office of the Associated Press, and he’s read me the latest wire service reports," Sandier said, "I know things that aren’t in the papers yet For one thing, the police out there in California have put out an all-points bulletin for you Apparently, one of the victims had read your book When the attack caot hih time to scrawl your name and the title of your book on the mirror!"
Timothy was speechless There was a chair beside the telephone He suddenly needed it
"The authorities in California don’t understand what’s happened They don’t even realize The Ancient Enemy is the title of a book, and they don’t knohat part you play in all this They think it was a nerve gas attack or an act of biological warfare or even extraterrestrial contact But the man rote your name on that mirror knew better And so do we I’ll tell you more in the car"
"Car?" Timothy said
"My God, I hope you have a passport!"
"Uh… yes"
"I’ by with a car to take you to the airport I want you to go to California, Dr Flyte"
"But-"
"Tonight There’s an available seat on a flight from Heathrow I’ve reserved it in your na all expenses Don’t worry Youjust a popularization of The Ancient Ene to write a well-rounded human story about Snowfield, and all of your material on historical mass disappearances and your theories about the ancient enemy will be supportive of that narrative Do you see? Won’t it be great?"
"But would it be right for me to rush in there now?"
"What do you mean?" Sandler asked
"Would it be proper?" Timothy asked worriedly, "Wouldn’t it appear as if I were atteedy?"
"Listen, Dr Flyte, there are going to be a hundred hustlers in Snowfield, all with book contracts in their back pockets They’ll rip off your material If you don’t write the book on the subject, one of them rite it at your expense"
"But hundreds are dead," Tiedy…"
Sandier was clearly impatient with the professor’s hesitancy "Well… okay, okay Maybe you’re right Maybe I haven’t really stopped to think about the horror of it But don’t you see-that’s why you must be the one to write the ulti your erudition or co on Timothy’s hesitation, Sandler said, "Good Pack a suitcase fast I’ll be there in half an hour"
Sandler hung up, and Ti to the dead line Stunned
In the taxi’s headlights, the rain was silvery It slanted on the wind, like thousands of thin strea Christmas tinsel On the pavement, it puddled in quicksilver pools
The cabdriver was reckless The car careened along the slick streets With one hand, Tihtly to the safety bar on the door Evidently Burt Sandler had pro next to the professor, Sandier said, "There’ll be a layover in New York, but not too long One of our people will h We won’t alert the media in New York We’ll save the press conference for San Francisco So be prepared to face an aret off the plane there"
"Couldn’t I just go quietly to Santa Mira and present myself to the authorities there?" Timothy asked unhappily
"No, no, no!" Sandier said, clearly horrified by the very thought, "We’ve got to have a press conference You’re the only one with the answer, Dr Flyte We’ve got to let everyone know that you’re the one We’ve got to start beating the drum for your next book before Norman Mailer puts aside his latest study of Marilyn Monroe and juun to write the book yet"
"God, I know And by the time we publish, the demand will be phenomenal!"
The cab turned a corner Tires squealed Tiainst the door
"A publicist will uide you through the press conference," Sandler said "One way or another he’ll get you to Santa Mira It’s a fairly long drive, so maybe it can be done by helicopter"
"Helicopter?" Tih a deep puddle, casting up pluht
Burt Sandler had been talking nonstop since Ti At your press conference, tell the Mayans And three thousand Chinese infantrymen who vanished And be sum to make any references you possibly can to mass disappearances that took place in the U S-even before there was a United States, even in previous geological eras That’ll appeal to the American press Local ties That always helps Didn’t the Just British colony in America vanish without a trace?"
"Yes The Roanoke Island colony"
"Be sure to mention it"
"But I can’t say conclusively that the disappearance of the Roanoke colony is connected with the ancient eneht’ve been?"