Thunderbird by Jack McDevitt Page A

got off work.” They’d unhooked him from the machines.
    Bill was a firefighter. He looked exactly like the kind of guy who’drush into a burning building to get someone stranded on the top floor. If somebody was going to show up after he’d fallen down in the snow and do a rescue, he’d have expected it to be Bill. Even if he had no idea how the guy could have known. They were talking about how he should not go anywhere without his cell phone, and how many people just in the Pembina County area had survived near-death experiences because they’d been able to call 911.
    Well, of course they were right. And Randall was assuring them for the fourth or fifth time that it wouldn’t happen again when Brian walked in. His wife, Mary, was with him. They were both in their fifties, both smiling, both happy to see Randall in good condition. Brian worked at the post office; Mary was a teacher at the elementary school.
    Melinda sighed and hugged them both. “Thank God you were there last night, Brian,” she said. “I hate to think what could have happened.”
    Mary sat down, but they were short one chair, so Bill got out of his and offered it to Brian.
    â€œIt’s okay,” Brian said. “I’m good.”
    Bill insisted. “It’s the least we can do for the man of the hour.”
    It took maybe thirty seconds before Melinda asked the pertinent question: “Brian, how did you happen to be in the right spot at the right time? Did you hear him calling for help?”
    Brian glanced at Mary. He was a big guy, broad-shouldered, somebody you’d suspect was a former linebacker. Mary was blond and still had her figure. She had never been a cheerleader, but she could have fooled Randall. They both looked as if the question was somehow embarrassing.
    â€œTell them,” Mary said.
    Brian shook his head and exhaled. “I think it was divine intervention.”
    â€œReally?” Randall couldn’t resist grinning. “Nothing like having the Lord on your side.”
    â€œI’m serious. Randy, we’ve known each other a long time. You know I’m not a wacko, right? At least I hope so.”
    Yeah. That was true. Brian and Mary were both pretty solid people. “So what happened?” Randall asked.
    â€œWe were watching TV. A Western. We don’t usually bother with Westerns, but this was a John Wayne movie. Anyhow, I started seeing a picture of you lying in the snow back of your house.”
    â€œWhat?”
    â€œIt’s true. It was like the living room went away and everything got dark and I was looking down at you. Maybe from the trees. You were lying in the snow between your house and the garage. I knew I was imagining it, and the first thing I thought was that I had a brain tumor. I got really scared.” He looked around at the others. “It wouldn’t go away. I could still hear the movie. I could feel the chair under me. And Mary was asking me what was wrong. But it was like noise interfering with reality. You were the reality, Randy.
    â€œThen it faded. It didn’t completely go away, but I was back in front of the television. I was feeling my forehead, thinking I had a fever. But I thought I better go look outside, just to be sure. So I got out of the chair. I was a little bit dizzy. Mary asked me what I was doing, and I told her about you. Lying out there.”
    Everybody was staring at him. Except Mary, who was nodding. Bill glanced over at her. “He told you about Dad?
Before
he went outside?”
    â€œThat is correct.”
    â€œI grabbed a jacket and told her I’d be back in a minute.” He paused and took a deep breath. He had a deer-in-the-headlights look in his eyes. “I don’t know what I expected to find. The apparition, whatever it was, went away after I got out of my chair. I felt as if I’d lost my mind.”
    â€œThat’s really weird,” said Bill.
    â€œWe went over