michael crichton.congo-第11节

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　In　1334；　another　Arab；　Ibn　Mohammed；　stated　that　〃our　number　made　arrangements　to　seek　out　the　city　of　Zinj；　but　quitted　our　quest　upon　learning　that　the　city　was　long　since　abandoned；　and　much　ruined。　It　is　said　that　the　aspect　of　the　city　is　wondrous　strange；　for　doors　and　windows　are　built　in　the　curve　of　a　half…moon；　and　the　residences　are　now　overtaken　by　a　violent　race　of　hairy　men　who　speak　in　whispers　no　known　language　　　　　
　Then　the　Portuguese；　those　indefatigable　explorers；　arrived。　By　1544；　they　were　venturing　inland　from　the　west　coast　up　the　mighty　Congo　River；　but　they　soon　encountered　all　the　obstacles　that　would　prevent　exploration　of　central　Africa　for　hundreds　of　years　to　e。　The　Congo　was　not　navigable　beyond　the　first　set　of　rapids；　two　hundred　miles　inland　（at　what　was　once　Léopoldville；　and　is　now　Kinshasa）。　The　natives　were　hostile　and　cannibalistic。　And　the　hot　steaming　jungle　was　the　source　of　disease…malaria；　sleeping　sickness；　bilharzia；　blackwater　fever…which　decimated　foreign　intruders。
　The　Portuguese　never　managed　to　penetrate　the　central
　
　*The　fabled　city　of　Zinj　formed　the　basis　for　H。　Rider　Haggard's　popular　novel　King　Solomon's　Mines；　first　published　in　1885。　Haggard；　a　gifted　linguist；　had　served　on　the　staff　of　the　Governor　of　Natal　in　1875。　and　he　presumably　heard　of　Zinj　from　the　neighboring　Zulus　at　that　time。
　
　Congo。　Neither　did　the　English；　under　Captain　Brenner；　in　1644；　his　entire　party　was　lost。　The　Congo　would　remain　for　two　hundred　years　as　a　blank　spot　on　the　civilized　maps　of　the　world。
　But　the　early　explorers　repeated　the　legends　of　the　interior；　including　the　story　of　Zinj。　A　Portuguese　artist；　Juan　Diego　de　Valdez；　drew　a　widely　acclaimed　picture　of　the　Lost　City　of　Zinj　in　1642。　〃But；〃　Sarah　Johnson　said；　〃he　also　drew　pictures　of　men　with　tails；　and　monkeys　having　carnal　knowledge　of　native　women。〃
　Somebody　groaned。
　〃Apparently　Valdez　was　crippled；〃　she　continued。　〃He　lived　all　his　life　in　the　town　of　Settibal；　drinking　with　sailors　and　drawing　pictures　based　on　his　conversations。〃
　Africa　was　not　thoroughly　explored　until　the　mid…　nineteenth　century；　by　Burton　and　Speke；　Baker　and　Living…stone；　and　especially　Stanley。　No　trace　of　the　Lost　City　of　Zinj　was　found　by　any　of　them。　Nor　had　any　trace　of　the　apocryphal　city　been　found　in　the　hundred　years　since。
　The　gloom　that　descended　over　the　Project　Amy　staff　meeting　was　profound。　〃I　told　you　it　was　bad　news；〃　Sarah　Johnson　said。
　〃You　mean；〃　Peter　Elliot　said；　〃that　this　picture　is　based　on　a　description；　and　we　don't　know　whether　the　city　actually　exists　or　not。〃
　〃I'm　afraid　so；〃　Sarah　Johnson　said。　〃There　is　no　proof　that　the　city　in　the　picture　exists　at　all。　It's　just　a　story。〃
　
　4。　Resolution
　
　PETER　ELLIOT'S　UNQUESTIONED　RELIANCE　ON　twentieth…century　hard　data…facts；　figures；　graphs…left　him　unprepared　for　the　possibility　that　the　1642　engraving；　in　all　its　detail；　was　merely　the　fanciful　speculation　of　an　uninhibited　artist。　The　news　came　as　a　shock。
　Their　plans　to　take　Amy　to　the　Congo　suddenly　appeared　childishly　na？ve；　the　resemblance　of　her　sketchy；　schematic　drawings　to　the　1642　Valdez　engraving　was　obviously　coincidental。　How　could　they　ever　have　imagined　that　a　Lost　City　of　Zinj　was　anything　but　the　stuff　of　ancient　fable？　In　the　seventeenth…century　world　of　widening　horizons　and　new　wonders；　the　idea　of　such　a　city　would　have　seemed　perfectly　reasonable；　even　pelling。　But　in　the　puterized　twentieth　century；　the　Lost　City　of　Zinj　was　as　unlikely　as　Camelot　or　Xanadu。　They　had　been　fools　ever　to　take　it　seriously。　〃The　lost　city　doesn't　exist；〃　he　said。
　〃Oh；　it　exists；　all　right；〃　she　said。　〃There's　no　doubt　about　that。〃
　Elliot　glanced　up　quickly；　and　then　he　saw　that　Sarah　Johnson　had　not　answered　him。　A　tall　gangly　girl　in　her　early　twenties　stood　at　the　back　of　the　room。　She　might　have　been　considered　beautiful　except　for　her　cold；　aloof　demeanor。　This　girl　was　dressed　in　a　severe；　businesslike　suit；　and　she　carried　a　briefcase；　which　she　now　set　on　the　table；　popping　the　latches。
　〃I'm　Dr。　Ross；〃　she　announced；　〃from　the　Wildlife　Fund；　and　I'd　like　your　opinion　of　these　pictures。〃
　She　passed　around　a　series　of　photographs；　which　were　viewed　by　the　staff　with　an　assortment　of　whistles　and　sighs。　At　the　head　of　the　table；　Elliot　waited　impatiently　until　the　photographs　came　down　to　him。
　They　were　grainy　black…and…white　images　with　horizontal　scanning　line　streaks；　photographed　off　a　video　screen。　But　the　image　was　unmistakable：　a　ruined　city　in　the　jungle；　with　curious　inverted　crescent…shaped　doors　and　windows。
　
　5。　Amy
　
　〃BY　SATELLITE？〃　ELLIOT　REPEATED；　HEARING　THE　tension　in　his　voice。
　〃That's　right；　the　pictures　were　transmitted　by　satellite　from　Africa　two　days　ago。〃
　〃Then　you　know　the　location　of　this　ruin？〃
　〃Of　course。〃
　〃And　your　expedition　leaves　in　a　matter　of　hours？〃
　〃Six　hours　and　twenty…three　minutes；　to　be　exact；〃　Ross　said；　glancing　at　her　digital　watch；
　Elliot　adjourned　the　meeting；　and　talked　privately　with　Ross　for　more　than　an　hour。　Elliot　later　claimed　that　Ross　had　〃deceived〃　him　about　the　purpose　of　the　expedition　and　the　hazards　they　would　face。　But　Elliot　was　eager　to　go；　and　probably　not　inclined　to　be　too　fussy　about　the　reasons　behind　Ross's　ing　expedition；　or　the　dangers　involved。　As　a　skilled　grantsman；　he　had　long　ago　grown　fortable　with　situations　where　other　peoples'　money　and　his　own　motivations　did　not　exactly　coincide。　This　was　the　cynical　side　of　academic　life：　how　much　pure　research　had　been　funded　because　it　might　cure　cancer？　A　researcher　promised　anything　to　get　his　money。
　Apparently　it　never　occurred　to　Elliot　that　Ross　might　be　using　him　as　coldly　as　he　was　using　her。　From　the　start　Ross　was　never　entirely　truthful；　she　had　been　instructed　by　Travis　to　explain　the　ERTS　Congo　mission　〃with　a　little　data　dropout。〃　Data　dropout　was　second　nature　to　her；　everyone　at　ERTS　had　learned　to　say　no　more　than　was　necessary。　Elliot　treated　her　as　if　she　were　an　ordinary　funding　agency；　and　that　was　a　serious　mistake。
　In　the　final　analysis；　Ross　and　Elliot　misjudged　each　other；　for　each　presented　a　deceptive　appearance；　and　in　the　same　way。　Elliot　appeared　so　shy　and　retiring　that　one　Berkeley　faculty　member　had　mented；　〃It's　no　wonder　he's　devoted　his　life　to　apes；　he　can't　work　up　the　nerve　to　talk　to　people。〃　But　Elliot　had　been　a　tough　middle　linebacker　in　college；　and　his　diffident　academic　demeanor　concealed　a　head…crunching　ambitious　drive。
　Similarly；　Karen　Ross；　despite　her　youthful　cheerleader　beauty　and　soft；　seductive　Texas　accent；　possessed　great　intelligence　and　a　deep　inner　toughness。　（She　had　matured　early；　and　a　high…school　teacher　had　once　appraised　her　as　〃the　very　flower　of　virile　Texas　womanhood。〃）　Ross　felt　responsible　for　the　previous　ERTS　expedition；　and　she　was　determined　to　rectify　past　errors。　It　was　at　least　possible　that　Elliot　and　Amy　could　help　her　when　she　got　onsite；　that　was　reason　enough　to　take　them　with　her。　Beyond　that；　Ross　was　concerned　about　the　consortium；　which　was　obviously　seeking　Elliot；　since　Morikawa　was　calling。　If　she　took　Elliot　and　Amy　with　her；　she　removed　a　possible　advantage　to　the　consortium…again；　reason　enough　to　take　them　with　her。　Finally；　she　needed　a　cover　in　case　her　expedition　was　stopped　at　one　of　the　borders…and　a　primatologist　and　an　ape　provided　a　perfect　cover。
　But　in　the　end　Karen　Ross　wanted　only　the　Congo　diamonds…and　she　was　prepared　to　say　anything；　do　anything；　sacrifice　anything　to　get　them。
　In　photographs　taken　at　San　Francisco　airport；　Elliot　and　Ross　appeared　as　two　smiling；　youthful　academics；　embarking　on　a　lark　of　an　expedition　to　Africa。　But　in　fact；　their　motivations　were　different；　and　grimly　held。　Elliot　was　reluctant　to　tell　her　how　theoretical　and　academic　his　goals　were…and　Ross　was　reluctant　to　admit　how　pragmatic　were　hers。
　In　any　case；　by　midday　on　June　14；　Karen　Ross　found　herself　riding　with　Peter　Elliot　in　his　battered　Fiat　sedan　along　Hallowell　Road；　going　past　the　University　athletic　field。　She　had　some　misgivings：　they　were　going　to　meet　Amy。
　Elliot　unlocked　the　door　with　its　red　sign　DO　NOT　DISTURB　ANIMAL　EXPERIMENTATION　IN　PROGRESS。　Behind　the　door；　Amy　was　grunting　and　scratching　impatiently。　Elliot　paused。
　〃When　you　meet　her；〃　he　said；　〃remember　that　she　is　a　gorilla　and　not　a　human　being。　Gorillas　have　their　own　etiquette。　Don't　speak　loudly　or　make　any　sudden　movements　until　she　gets　used　to　you。　If　you　smile；　don't　show　your　teeth；　because　bared　teeth　are　a　threat。　And　keep　your　eyes　downcast；　because　direct　stares　from　strangers　are　considered　hostile。　Don't　stand　too　close　to　me　or　touch　me；　be…cause　she's　very　jealous。　If　you　talk　to　her；　don't　lie。　Even　though　she　uses　sign　language；　she　understands　most　human　speech；　and　we　usually　just　talk　to　her。　She　can　tell　when　you're　lying　and　she　doesn't　like　it。〃
　〃She　doesn't　like　it？〃
　〃She　dismisses　you；　won't　talk　to　you；　and　gets　bitchy。〃
　〃Anything　else？〃
　〃No；　it　should　be　okay。〃　He　smiled　reassuringly。　〃We　have　this　traditional　greeting；　even　though　she's　getting　a　little　big　for　it。〃　He　opened　the　door；　braced　hims