gns.batsoutofhell-第18节

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　　He　paused；　fumbled　a　cigarette　out　of　a　packet　on　the　desk；　and　lit　it　with　fingers　that　shook。
　　
　　'First；　this　man　Baxterdale；'　he　continued。　'As　far　as　anybody　knew　he　had　had　no　contact　with　the　bat。　He　was　later　discovered；　on　the　same　day；　trapped　in　his　car　which　had　overturned。　There　was　no　doubt　that　he　had　somehow　contracted　this　mutated　meningitis　virus；　but　even　if　he　had　done　so　then　he　should　have　survived　another　two　or　three　days。　He　died　within　hours！　There　was　a　wound　on　his　hand；　a　small　but　nasty　bite　which　was　later　found　to　have　been　inflicted　by　a　rat。　Baxterdale　had　contracted　the　disease　via　a　rodent。　Now；　perhaps　Professor　Newman　would　be　kind　enough　to　give　us　a　summary　of　his　recent　experiments　with　rats。'
　　
　　'I　injected　twenty　rats　with　the　same　virus　which　is　causing　wide…spread　death　amongst　the　bats；'　Brian　Newman　said。　'Only　one　rat　died。　Trie'　others　appeared　to　be　immune。　I　thought　that　possibly　they　had　bee　carriers　in　the　same　way　that　many　bats　are。　Further　tests　proved　that　they　were　not。　The　virus　had　died　without　apparently　harming　them　in　any　way。　One　rat　in　twenty；　gentlemen。
　　
　　Five　per　cent。　But　a　thousand　times　more　deadly　than　a　bat。'
　　
　　'And　what　about　mice？'　Sir　John　Stirchley　asked。
　　
　　'Totally　erratic；'　Newman　replied。　'Some　followed　the　same　course　as　the　bats。　About　fifty　per…cent　fatalities。　Definitely　not　as　receptive　as　bats；　but　more　so　than　rats。　But；　overall；　there　is　no　pattern。　There　is　only　one　mon　denominator；　and　that　is　that　the　disease　is　deadly　and　it　can　be　carried　by　almost　any　living　being；　including　humans！　Seven　Treasury　clerks　died　as　a　result　of　ing　into　contact　with　an　infected　bat。　Within　a　week　three　hospital　staff　and　one　doctor　caught　the　disease。　Yet　none　of　those　who　attended　to　earlier　victims　caught　it。　Why？'　He　shrugged　his　shoulders。　'Maybe　we　shall　never　find　the　answer　to　that　one。　It　could　be　that　some　people　are　immune　for　some　reason。　One　thing　seems　fairly　certain；　though。　The　virus　is　only　passed　on　while　the　sufferer　lives。　Once　the　victim　dies；　so　does　the　virus。　Whilst　we　are　faced　with　a　situation　akin　to　outbreaks　of　bubonic　plague　in　the　Middle　Ages；　we　have　the　small　consolation　of　knowing　that　corpses　can　be　handled　with　impunity。'
　　
　　'And　your　experiments　to　find　an　antidote？'　Sir　John　Stirchley　asked。
　　
　　'Negative。　At　the　moment　I　have　nothing　to　report。　I　am　still　hopeful；　though。'
　　
　　Haynes　took　off　his　glasses　and　sighed。　'So　much　for　the　biological　side　of　this　business。'　He　turned　to　the。　Ministry　of　Defence　official。　'Now；　Mr　Littler；　we　have　brought　you　up　to　date　on　our　side　of　things；　so　perhaps　you　would　be　kind　enough　to　fill　us　in　on　the　details　of　what　is　happening　in　the　Midlands？　One　is　always　dubious　of　relying　solely　upon　newspaper；　radio　and　television　reports。'
　　
　　'Quite　so；'　the　other　spoke　in　a　fiat；　expressionless　voice。　'Well；　as　you　know　a　large　number　of　bats　have　infiltrated　the　centre　of　Birmingham。　The　first　reported　sighting　was　in　the　old　Snow　Hill　Station。　The　pest　authorities　were　called　in；　the　building　was　sealed　off　and　pumped　full　of　cymag　gas。　Later　it　was　discovered　that　forty…two　bats　had　been　killed。　All　males。'
　　
　　'All　males！'　Newman　gasped。　Then…'
　　
　　'Precisely。　The　point　I　am　just　about　to　make；'　Littler　continued；　'is　that　it　is　reasonable　to　assume　that　the　females　are　breeding　elsewhere。　In　the　city；　or　in　rural　areas？　It　is　impossible　to　say。　According　to　reliable　information　which　I　have；　the　female　bats　should　have　given　birth　to　their　young　already；　and　so；　by　the　middle　of　September　when　these　young　bats　are　able　to　fend　for　themselves；　their　numbers　could　have　increased　by　twenty…five　percent。　As　one　infected　bat　alone　is　capable　of　killing　an　innumerable　number　of　people　before　it　dies；　then　we　have　some　idea　of　what　we　are　up　against。'
　　
　　'But　apart　from　Snow　Hill　Station。'　Haynes　broke　in；　'there　must　be　dozens　of　other　such　places　harbouring　bats。'
　　
　　'Of　course；'　Littler　replied。　'They　have　been　sighted　in　scores　of　derelict　slum　areas；　but　it　seems　that　once　they　are　disturbed　they　leave　and　seek　refuge　elsewhere。　We　had　one　report　of　a　large　flock　seen　entering　a　derelict　house　hi　Moseley。　We　followed　the　same　procedure　as　with　Snow　Hill　Station；　but　afterwards；　when　it　was　safe　to　enter；　we　found　not　one　single　dead　bat。　They　had　obviously　flown　before　our　arrival。'
　　
　　'It's　like　the　mythical　burial　ground　of　the　elephants　in　Africa；'　Rickers　groaned。　'Somewhere　that's　never　found。　We　have　to　find　the　bats'　breeding　places　if　we're　to　check　their　spread；　and　that's　only　half　way　towards　solving　the　problem。'
　　
　　'And　what　about　the　public？'　Sir　John　Stirchley　lowered　his　voice。　'The　scenes　on　television　and　the　accounts　in　the　newspapers　are　pretty　awful。　Is　it　really　as　bad　as　all　that？'
　　
　　'Worse；'　Littler　said　with　a　grimace。　'So　far　twenty…three　people　have　died　as　a　direct　result　of　this　virus。　Doctors　are　working　night　and　day；　and　surgeries　and　hospitals　are　besieged　by　terrified　people　who　claim　to　have　been　in　contact　with　bats。　The　Prime　Minister　is　speaking　to　the　country　tonight。　The　Midlands　is　to　be　declared　a　disease…zone；　a　circle　incorporating　Stoke…on…Trent；　Leicester；　Kidderminster　and　Wellington。　All　roads　will　be　closed　to　and　from　the　Midlands　in　an　attempt　to　keep　everybody　and　everything　in。'
　　
　　'Impossible！'　Sir　John　snapped。　'We　have　neither　the　police　nor　the　armed　forces　with　which　to　implement　this。　Just　closing　the　roads　and　railways　won't　be　sufficient。　People　will　travel　on　foot。'
　　
　　'We　shall　not　be　relying　solely　upon　the　police　or　armed　forces　as　we　know　them；'　Littler　spoke　uncertainly；　as　though　he　should　not　be　disclosing　the　information。　'There　can　be　。。。　shall　we　say；　the　formation　of　an　additional　force。'
　　
　　'Like　vigilantes？'
　　
　　'Oh；　no；　the　vigilantes　are　already　making　their　presence　felt。　This　will　be　a　body　of　men。　Armed。　Well；　I'll　say　no　more；　but　it　is　the　only　way。'
　　
　　'A　police　state；'　Stirchley　muttered。
　　
　　'Only　temporarily。　While　the　bats　continue　to　spread　the　disease；'
　　
　　'All　the　armies　in　the　world　couldn't　contain　a　colony　of　bats。'
　　
　　'It　isn't　just　the　bats；　sir。　It's　the　people。　If　they　begin　fleeing　the　infected　area　then　they　are　capable　of　carrying　the　virus　to　other　parts；　the　same　as　the　bats　do。　Likewise；　we　can't　have　a　breakdown　of　law　and　order　in　the　Midlands。　Imagine　the　looting　which　would　take　place　if　everyone　left。'
　　
　　'What　are　the　feelings　of　the　citizens　of　Birmingham　at　present？'
　　
　　'Panic　hasn't　broken　out　yet；'　the　Ministry　man　replied；　'but　it　could　at　any　moment。　Once　people　start　dying　in　the　streets　and　there　aren't　enough　hospitals　to　cope　with　the　sick；　then　all　hell　will　be　let　loose。　That's　why　the　BVF　is　being　formed。'
　　
　　'British　Volunteer　Force。'
　　
　　The　seven　people　looked　at　each　other　in　silence。　There　was　no　more　to　be　said。　No　amount　of　talking　could　e　up　with　a　solution。　Not　unless　Professor　Newman　discovered　an　antidote　or　someone　found　the　main　breeding　quarters　of　the　bats。
　　
　　'I'm　afraid　the　whole　of　the　blame　seems　to　have　fallen　on　your　head；　Professor　Newman；'　Sir　John　Stirchley　said；　smiling　wanly。　'Of　course　we　know　that　it's　just　one　of　those　things；　but　it's　no　good　trying　to　explain　that　to　the　public。　I　am；　however；　going　to　try　and　get　it　through　to　Fleet　Street　that　you　are　the　one　person　capable　of　saving　them　from　the　bats。　I'm　sorry　about　the　way　you　and　Miss　Wylie　were　treated　by　those　louts；　and　about　your　bungalow；　too。　I　take　it　you　have　fixed　up　acmodation　elsewhere？'
　　
　　'Yes；　I've　another　bungalow。'　Newman　said　'At　Chase…town　Close　to　Chasewater。'
　　
　　'Perhaps　we　should　arrange　for　a　police　guard；'　Stirchley　mused。
　　
　　'I　don't　think　that　will　be　necessary；　sir；'　Newman　smiled　at　Susan。　'I　am　sure　that　that　episode　was　purely　a　freak　outbreak　of　hooliganism。'
　　
　　'Well；　if　you　need　anything　let　me　know；'　Sir　John　nodded　to　Haynes；　and　the　meeting　broke　up。
　　
　　Susan　followed　Brian　back　into　the　laboratory。
　　
　　'It's　terrible；'　she　said；　shuddering；　and　leaned　against　him。　'D'you　。。。　d'you　think　there's　any　chance　of　finding　an　antidote　now？'
　　
　　'No；'　he　told　her；　'to　be　perfectly　honest；　I　don't。　I've　tried　everything；　and　barring　a　miracle　we'll　just　have　to　face　up　to　the　fact　that　there's　no　antitoxin。'
　　
　　Then。。。　what'll　happen？'　she　asked。
　　
　　'If　it　continues　to　spread。'　he　replied　as　he　slipped　an　arm　around　her；　I　guess　it'll　mean　the　end　of　civilisation　as　we　know　it　in　this　country。　Or　even　the　whole　world！'
　　
　　'We　are　in　the　midst　of　one　of　the　gravest　situations　since　the　war；'　were　the　Prime　Minister's　opening　words　as　he　began　his　televised　speech　on　all　channels；　'and　as　a　result　it　has　fallen　upon　my　government　to　bring　in　emergency　measures。　A　State　of　Emergency　was　formally　declared　at　six　o'clock　this　evening；　and　the　British　Volunteer　Force；　which　has　been　formed　only　this　week；　has　now　gone　into　full　operation。　A　disease…zone　has