Even experts, as Preston puts it, are worrying about “chemical and biological weapons that some countries might or might not have” (83). To the reader still new to the subject of biological terror, Preston’s language indicates that nobody in the world knows the true locations of all these pathogens the reader is considerably frightened by this realization. These specific choices of diction are thus doubly frightening to the reader: even an expert researcher is unsure exactly of the whereabouts and status of smallpox in the United States, not to mention the rest of the world. Preston can therefore portray himself as an expert on this subject, though he still chooses words to indicate that even he is not completely confident of details surrounding the CDC’s smallpox vault. The author knows that he has written a book for the layperson, for a nonscientist who himself posses no great knowledge of diseases. This doubt then correlates to an apprehension in the reader. (Preston 80)The words “may,” “might,” and “could” are repeated here over and over, stressed over all other words, and dominant in the passage to form a growing feeling of uncertainty. The A and B freezers (if they exist, which is unclear) would each contain identical sets of vials. There may be a decoy vault…it could be disguised to look like a janitor’s closet, …it may be kept in mirrored form: there may be two freezers, designated the A freezer and the B freezer. There may be more than one variola vault. You might look straight at the vault and not know that your eyes are resting on the place where half of the world’s known smallpox is hidden. For example, when Preston describes the smallpox vault at the CDC’s repository, his description is full of guesses and conjectures:The variola vault…may be disguised. The word choice directly affects the reader as Preston’s uncertainty translates into uncertainty in the reader. Preston uses uncertain diction and short, startling sentences to create apprehension in the reader that impresses upon him the menace of biological weapons.Preston begins by using numerous words that indicate uncertainty, wording many of his sentences to reflect the fact that he is uncertain about some details concerning smallpox. This novel tries to alert the public to the looming threat that such a biological terror attack could pose. As the anthrax scare began spreading through the country, people became more fearful about what might happen next. In his novel The Demon in the Freezer, Richard Preston addresses the American public’s increasing concern about the threat of terrorism after the events of 9/11.

Saints row 2 freezer