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urnals were stacked on the floor； almost concealing a soiled flowered carpet。 The others in the group； experienced visitors； picked up stacks of books and papers off the overstuffed furniture and added them to the piles on the floor。 Kenny followed their lead and made space in a lumpy armchair。 While Mrs。 Wayne and Dr。 Piltcher disappeared from the room to make coffee； the others discussed the debate over the hippo fossils。 Kenny listened； but felt unfortable and ignored。 When Dr。 Piltcher and Mrs。 Wayne returned； Dr。 Piltcher turned immediately to Kenny。
〃Well； Kenny。 Tell us about what happened to you；〃 he urged encouragingly。
Feeling more at ease； Kenny started into his story slowly； describing the hunting trip and the strange corn shower； how he was led to research other strange events through books and articles。 As he talked they listened with rapt attention； no disbelief on their faces； until he found himself not only describing the event but also his feelings。 He shared his awe and fear when the corn fell。 He described his estrangement from his father； friends； and finally his sister。
He could tell by their eyes that almost everyone in this cluttered room had shared his experience； they all actively listened。 When he was done there was silence。 He watched for reactions from the group； but they all turned to Dr。 Piltcher； who sat bing his thinning hair with his fingers。 Then he spoke。
〃Sound familiar to you； George？〃
Dr。 Coombs was rocking in his chair； with his arms folded behind his head； studying the ceiling。 Ten years younger than Dr。 Piltcher； balding and gray…templed； Dr。 Coombs stopped rocking long enough to answer。 〃That it does； Chester。〃
〃Let's start with the easy one； shall we？〃 Dr。 Piltcher suggested。 〃Burning sulfur falling on Sodom and Gomorrah。 Destroyed the whole damned city…pun intended。 Your turn； George。〃
〃Frogs falling on Egypt； as recorded in the Bible and Midrash。〃 Dr。 Coombs said it without taking his eyes off of the ceiling。
〃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 with