The Devil's Heart

seriously. Ralph Fairbanks was a highly respected man in his field, one of the top men in the world, constantly in demand for speaking engagements and classroom lectures.

Something very close to excited fear touched Glenn. He had not experienced it in a long time. 'Go on, buddy … tell it all.'

Somewhere in the vastness of the huge planetarium, a phone began to ring. It rang several times before someone stilled the jangling.

Ralph sighed. 'It … seemed to me that the two … figures were, well, arguing, I guess is the right word. Almost violently. The one more . . . imposing figure, impressive, was pointing upward; the warrior-appearing figure was pointing downward, pointing with that terrible-looking weapon he … it held in his hand.'

The blinker on the phone popped on. Glenn finally picked up the telephone. 'Yeah?' He listened for a moment, his eyes widening. 'No warning; no nothing? Impossible!' He listened for a moment longer. 'All in one night? This close together? Good God!' He hung up.

'What?' his friend asked.

'Small volcano in the Malay archipelago just blew its cork. Hell, it's been dormant for centuries.'

'No warning?'

'None.'

Ralph smiled. 'What else?'

'How do you know there was anything else?'

'I know.'

'Couple of small monsoons. A tidal wave or two. All without serious damage. No reported injuries or deaths. Earthquake in a couple of places. No major damage. People reporting some sort of … heavenly voices coming out of the sky. Their words; damn sure not mine. Large hail in spots. Tremendous lightning reported around Montreal.'

'Where around Montreal?'

'Eighty-ninety miles north. Why?'

' 'And the temple of God was opened in Heaven,' ' Ralph said, closing his eyes, ' 'and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament; and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail.' '

'What the hell is that drivel, Ralph?'

'Revelation, chapter eleven, verse nineteen.'

'It was a fluke of nature, Ralph!'

'If that is what you believe, Glenn.'

'Goddamnit, Ralph! Now listen to me: you're a scientist. You know as well as I there is a logical explanation for everything. I'm not going to argue fact and fiction with you; we've been doing that for a quarter of a century, and all it gets us is out of sorts with each other. I'm going to get that fucking film and see what's on it. I'll be back shortly.'

When Glenn returned, Ralph had not moved from his seat. 'Nothing on the film, Ralph. Nothing took.'

'I told you there wouldn't be.'

'I'm going to switch scope positions; take a look at that new star.'

'All right.'

'You don't object?'

'Why should I?'

'Maybe your … apparitions will pop up again. Don't you want to see your holy people?'

Ralph smiled at his friend's sarcasm. 'I've seen them.'

The red light on the phone glowed. Glenn answered it, listening for a moment. When he turned to his friend, the expression on his face was strange … tight.

'News?' Ralph asked.

'Some … stargazers up in Canada wanted to know if any of us had witnessed … something … some visions in the sky tonight. Said they shot film, but nothing developed. Said he didn't want me to think him a fool, or that he'd been boozing on the job, but it appeared to be two … things arguing.'

'And?' Ralph prodded him, knowing there was more.

'He said,' Glenn sighed, 'that others had called in, from reporting stations all around the world. Said they all witnessed the same … whatever it was. Said they were all—to use his words—awestruck.'

'Go on, Glenn.'

'You really want to rub my nose in it, don't you?'

'No, old friend, I don't.'

'Well … I didn't see it. If I had seen it, I probably would have been able to identify the sighting without tailing back on unproven superstition.'

The two men glared at each other for a few seconds, Ralph finally breaking the silence. 'What is it they claim to have seen?'