ch.nativetongue-第78节

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　operas　before　miraculously　landing　the　part　of　Big　Daddy　in　a　Scranton　dinner…theater　production　of　Cat　on　a　Hot　Tin　Roof。　A　freelance　critic　for　the　Philadelphia　Inquirer　described　Strickland's　performance　as　〃gutsy　and　brooding。〃
　Several　weeks　after　fire　swept　through　Francis　X。　Kingsbury's　theme　park；　a　piano…sized　crate　from　Auckland；　New　Zealand；　was　discovered　outside　the　padlocked　gate。　No　one　was　certain　how　long　the　crate　had　been　there；　but　it　was　empty　by　the　time　a　security　guard　found　it；　whatever　was　inside　had　clawed　its　way　out。　Soon　residents　of　the　nearby　Ocean　Reef　Club　began　reporting　the　disappearance　of　pet　cats　and　small　dogs　at　a　rate　of　two　per　week…a　mystery　that　remains　unsolved。　Meanwhile；　Kingsbury's　estate　received　a　handwritten　invoice　from　a　person　calling　herself　RACHEL　LARK。　The　bill；　excluding　shipping；　amounted　to　3；755　for　〃miscellaneous　wildlife。〃
　The　widow　of　DR。　WILL　KOOCHER　hired　a　Miami　lawyer　and　filed　a　wrongful…death　action　against　the　Amazing　Kingdom　of　Thrills；　Ramex　Global　Trust；　N。A。　and　Bermuda　Intercontinental　Services；　Inc。　The　insurance　panies　hastily　settled　the　lawsuit　out　of　court　for　approximately　2。8　million。　The　gutted　ruins　of　the　Amazing　Kingdom　were　razed；　and　the　land　was　replanted　with　native　trees；　including　buttonwoods；　pigeon　plums；　torchwoods；　brittle　palms；　tamarinds；　gumbo…limbos　and　mangroves。　This　restoration　was　acplished　in　spite　of　rigid　opposition　from　the　Monroe　County　mission；　which　had　hoped　to　use　the　property　as　a　public　dump。
　The　surviving　owners　of　the　FALCON　TRACE　golf　resort　sold　all　construction　permits　and　building　rights　to　a　consortium　of　Japanese　investors　who　had　never　set　foot　in　South　Florida。　However；　the　project　stalled　once　again　when　environmentalists　surveying　the　Key　Largo　site　reported　the　presence　of　at　least　two　blue…tongued　mango　voles；　previously　thought　to　be　extinct。　According　to　an　unsigned　press　release　faxed　to　all　major　newspapers　and　wire　services；　the　tiny　mammals　were　spotted　at　Falcon　Trace　during　a　nature　hike　by　MOLLY　MCNAMARA　and　the　Mothers　of　Wilderness；　who　immediately　reported　the　sighting　to　the　U。S。　Department　of　Interior。
　Eventually　the　Falcon　Trace　and　Amazing　Kingdom　properties　were　purchased　from　bankruptcy　by　the　state　of　Florida；　and　became　part　of　a　preserve　on　NORTH　KEY　LARGO。　In　the　spring　of　1991；　a　National　Geographic　photographer　set　out　to　capture　on　film　the　last　surviving　pair　of　blue…tongued　mango　voles。　After　two　months　in　the　woods；　the　photographer　contracted　mosquito…borne　encephalitis　and　was　airlifted　to　Jackson　Memorial　Hospital；　where　he　spent　three　weeks　on　clear　fluids。　He　never　got　a　glimpse　of　the　shy　and　nocturnal　creatures；　although　he　returned　to　New　York　with　a　cellophane　packet　of　suspect　rodent　droppings　and　a　pledge　to　keep　searching。