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ut he didn't believe in scaring up improbable natural explanations just to rule it out； either。 Nature was a plex system； there had to be more to it than anyone could understand from looking at the surface。
The kitchen was large and old…fashioned； with a free…standing sink and a gas range。 A real farmhouse kitchen； or so Zach imagined。 He opened the refrigerator and was surprised to see the light e on。 He hadn't tested the electricity； he realized； he had forgotten about it until now。
In the fridge was a juice bottle with a half inch of black sludge at the bottom； some kind of vegetable matter mummified beyond recognition； and a Tupperware container whose contents he dared not contemplate： he'd heard Tupperware coffins could preserve human remains for twenty years or more； so who knew what they could do to leftovers？ Zach retrieved the Cokes and bottled water from the living room and arranged them on the shelf next to the juice。
He checked Trevor again； found him still sleeping。 Zach began to get bored。 He picked his way across the living room； went out to his car； and got the bag that held his laptop puter and cellular phone。 He thought he might be staying here for a few days； and he wanted to give Eddy a more specific message than the one he had left last night。 If he dialed in now； he thought he could just make the deadline。
Zach accessed the Times…Picayune's puter； typed rapidly for several minutes； then pressed the keys to send his article。 After he had done that； he was still restless。 He found a square of yellow Post…it notes in his bag； scribbled down a few phone codes； and stuck them on the edge of the table。 They were numbers he might need in a hurry； and he didn't think Trevor would mind。
Then； just for the hell of it； he dialed into Mutanet。 He didn't log in with his own password； of course； since They might be monitoring the board。 But Zach had long since acquired full systems…operator privileges on Mutanet； though he had discreetly neglected to mention this fact to the sysop。 The sysop fancied himself a Discordian； or worshiper of the chaotic goddess Eris； and his password was POEE5。
First Zach read the messages on the main board； scanning them for his handle。
MESSAGE： 65
FROM： K0DEz KID
TO： ALL MUTANTS
〃Lucio〃 got busted today！！
Hahahahahahaa！ ！ ！ ！ ！
MESSAGE： 73
FROM： ZOMBI
TO： K0DEz KID
If you had a googolth of Lucio's hacking
skill you would not take such sick joy in
his misfortune…You're wrong； KiddO…somebody warned him Sat。 nite and he's long gone
MESSAGE： 76
FROM： AKKER
TO： MUTOIDS
Zombi's right！ I； Akker the H…akker；
founder of the Data Acquisition and Retrieval Team （DART）； cracked the Secret
Service's system and found the warrant to
search Lucio's house。 It was I who warned
him in time！ ！ Power to DART！ ！ ！ ： …）
MESSAGE： 80
FROM： ST。 GULIK； YR。 HUMBLE SYSOP
TO： ANYONE READING THIS
Lucio can't get on this board anymore。 I
disabled his account。 If he tries to con…tact you； don't talk to him。 For all we know he could have gotten busted and turned informant。 Anyone known to still have contact with him will be kicked off Mutanet！ A paranoid hacker is a free hacker！
That caught Zach's interest； so he checked the sysop's personal mail。 There was only one message。
FROM： ZOMBI
TO： ST。 BOGUS
FUCK YOUR FASCIST BOARD…； D00D！ YOU'D BE THE FIRST TO TURN RAT IF A KKKOMPUTER KKKOPNAILED YOUR WHITE ASS！！！ YOUR ADDRESS IS 622 FRAZIER ST。 IN METAIRIE AND IF YOU KEEP TELLING kidZ WHO NOT TO TALK TO； I WILL FIRST POST IT ON BOARDS ALL OVER THE COUNTRY； THEN E OVER THERE AND PERSONALLY INTRODUCE YOUR TEETH TO SOME OF THAT CHAOS YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO WORSHIP （BUT DON'T SEEMTO） ！ AND BY THE WAY；； AKKER DIDN'T WARN LUCIO
。。。 I DID！！ ！
Zach nearly fell off his chair； laughing。 He'd known he could count on Zombi。 He left two messages； the first on the main board where everyone could read it； the second personal。
FROM： LUCIO
TO： ST。 PARANOID
Pleez don't kick me off the board…； Br'er
Sysop！ Pleez！ Pleez！！ Pleeeeeez！ ！ ！
FROM： LUCIO
TO： ZOMBI
A googol times…； thanks。
Then Zach logged off Mutanet； maybe for the last time。
After turning the puter off； he felt disoriented。 He was used to spending hours each day in front of the screen。 Those few minutes had only whetted his appetite； had made his fingers tingle but hadn't given them the supersensitized buzz he got from a marathon session of pounding the keys。 But he didn't need money yet； and he wanted to lie low for a few days。
He noticed Trevor's backpack sitting on the kitchen counter。 The zipper was half open； and Zach could see the corner of a ic book poking out。 He glanced toward the door； then went over to the bag； cautiously tugged the zipper all the way down； and began to nose through the contents。
To Zach this was no different from examining Trevor's credit rating or police record； either of which he would have done guiltlessly and without hesitation if he had reason to。 But he didn't care about those things。 He wanted to know what Trevor carried around with him； what he kept close to him。
Here were all three issues of Birdland； battered copies in plastic bags。 No surprises there。 A Walkman and some tapes 。 。 。 Charlie Parker； Charlie Parker； and； just for good measure； Charlie Parker 。。。 a black T…shirt； a pair of underwear； a toothbrush and other assorted toiletries。 Pretty boring。 Zach dug deeper； and his fingers touched worn paper。 An envelope。
He pulled it out； unfolded the contents carefully。 The three sheets of paper were taped and retaped at every crease； wrinkled to the texture of fine silk。 Much of the text was indecipherable； but from what Zach could make out； he suspected Trevor had it memorized。
Multiple defensive wounds 。 。 。 A blow to the chest penetrated the breastbone and ruptured the heart； and could in and of itself have been fatal 。 。 。
Due to gross trauma； victim's brain could not be removed in one piece 。 。 。
Robert F。 McGee 。 。 。 Occupation： Artist 。 。 。
Each report was signed by the county coroner and dated June 16； 1972。 Yesterday had been the twentieth anniversary of the McGees' deaths； tomorrow would be the twentieth anniversary of their autopsies。
Zach imagined the three naked bodies lined up on steel tables whose blood gutters were black with clotted gore。 He could picture them much more clearly than he wanted to； their skin shockingly livid； their wounds black and purple； their torsos crisscrossed with Y…shaped autopsy scars that bisected each pectoral muscle and went all the way down to the pubic bone。 The woman's breasts hanging slack and darkly veined like fruit gone rotten on the tree； her long hair stiff with blood。 The little boy's head tilted at an awkward angle because the back of his skull was gone； his soft pink lips sealed with a crust of dried blood； his fingers permanently curled like a doll's。 The man with his eyes squeezed halfway out of their sockets by the pressure of the rope； giving him a goggle…eyed stare that