The Extinction Code Read Free Page A

peninsular, at a place called Chicxulub, sixty five million years ago. This boundary of rock, the evidence of the impact, is found at the same level in the rocks all around the world.’
    Channing stood up and prepared to move out again.
    ‘An Extinction Level Event,’ Weisler said, surprising Channing.
    ‘Yeah,’ he agreed, ‘an ELE. Ninety per cent of all living species went extinct directly after that impact.’
    As they moved down the hillside, Weisler hurried to keep up. ‘What did you say you studied again?
    ‘I’m a paleontologist,’ Channing replied, his voice echoing away across the lonely canyons. ‘I specialize in looking for Tyrannosaurs.’
    The descent continued for another few minutes as Channing sought the location specified in the letter. The author’s references to opposing lignite layers and tonsteins, a name for a certain kind of acid leached kaolinitic clay, guided Channing as he searched the rock faces. The sun blazed down upon them and seemed to beat back off the rock faces as Channing hunted for his quarry, but after an hour of crawling across hard rocks on his knees and chipping off samples from the rock face itself he was no closer to locating whatever the letter was referring to.
    Channing sat back in his haunches and pulled his hat down further over his eyes to shield them from the infernal sun. Weisler stood over him and looked impatiently at the rocks.
    ‘You found anything yet?’
    Channing fought to keep his temper in check as he replied.
    ‘A lot of old rocks and nothing much else. Are you sure you don’t know who sent you that letter?’
    Weisler shook his head. ‘I told you, I have no idea. It showed up, post–marked NYC, no name or identifying marks, with a covering note asking me to contact you and pass it on. I would have binned the damned thing if it hadn’t said that what was out here could change the world forever.’
    Channing wiped sweat from his brow onto the back of his forearm and shook his head. ‘There’s nothing here.’
    ‘Nothing?’
    ‘Nothing,’ Channing repeated, already suspecting that the letter was a hoax, the party trick of some sad loser with nothing better to do than waste other people’s time with their fantasies.
    ‘But then why bring me to you? Why go through this whole charade?’
    Channing got slowly to his feet and dusted his jeans off as he replied.
    ‘I have absolutely no idea, but who knows? There are more than enough weirdos and conspiracy theorists in this world. I’ve lost count of the number of letters I’ve received from people claiming that the world is in fact flat, or that people walked alongside the dinosaurs, or that the world is only six thousand years old.’
    Weisler looked up at the hard, uncaring face of the cliff and sighed, and Channing realized that the media man had been as deceived as he had and was as likely just as disappointed.
    ‘Don’t let it get to you,’ Channing suggested. ‘I’m surprised that you don’t get these kinds of pranks all the time too.’
    ‘We do,’ Weisler admitted, ‘but this one seemed so real, so genuine. He knew stuff, right?’
    Channing hesitated. Weisler was right, the author of the letter had known what he was talking about. He wondered whether the prank had been played by one of his colleagues, or perhaps worse one of his competitors.
    ‘Do you have the rest of the letter with you?’ Channing asked, wondering if he could identify the prankster by his hand writing on the covering letter that Weisler had mentioned.
    Weisler retrieved his covering letter and handed it to Channing, who read it for a moment and then gasped out loud as his hand flew to his mouth.
    ‘What is it?’ Weisler asked.
    Channing re–read the covering letter and realized that the note contained further concealed information.

    Please forward this information to Professor Aubrey Channing, Montana State University, whose knowledge of fossilized remains embedded in Paleogene kaolinitic layering is far