michael crichton.congo-第17节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


　food；　water；　clothing；　everything。〃
　〃Even　water？〃　Elliot　asked。
　Water　was　heavy：　seven…tenths　of　human　body　weight　was　water；　and　most　of　the　weight　of　food　was　water；　that　was　why　dehydrated　food　was　so　light。　But　water　was　far　more　critical　to　human　life　than　food。　Men　could　survive　for　weeks　without　food；　but　they　would　die　in　a　matter　of　hours　without　water。　And　water　was　heavy。
　Ross　smiled。　〃The　average　man　consumes　four　to　six　liters　a　day；　which　is　eight　to　thirteen　pounds　of　weight。　On　a　two…week　expedition　to　a　desert　region；　we'd　have　to　provide　two　hundred　pounds　of　water　for　each　man。　But　we　have　a　NASA　water…recycling　unit　which　purifies　all　excretions；　including　urine。　It　weighs　six　ounces。　That's　how　we　do　it。〃
　Seeing　his　expression；　she　said；　〃It's　not　bad　at　all。　Our　purified　water　is　cleaner　than　what　you　get　from　the　tap。；'
　〃I'll　take　your　word　for　it。〃　Elliot　picked　up　a　pair　of　strange…looking　sunglasses。　They　were　very　dark　and　thick；　and　there　was　a　peculiar　lens　mounted　over　the　forehead　bridge。
　〃Holographic　night　goggles；〃　Ross　said。　〃Employing　thin…film　diffraction　optics。〃　She　then　pointed　out　a　vibration…free　camera　lens　with　optical　systems　that　pensated　for　movement；　strobe　infrared　lights；　and　miniature　survey　lasers　no　larger　than　a　pencil　eraser。　There　was　also　a　series　of　small　tripods　with　rapid…geared　motors　mounted　on　the　top；　and　brackets　to　hold　something；　but　she　did　not　explain　these　devices　beyond　saying　they　were　〃defensive　units。〃
　Elliot　drifted　toward　the　far　table；　where　he　found　six　submachine　guns　set　out　under　the　lights。　He　picked　one　up；　it　was　heavy；　and　gleaming　with　grease。　Clips　of　ammunition　lay　stacked　nearby。　Elliot　did　not　notice　the　lettering　on　the　stock；　the　machine　guns　were　Russian　AK…47s　manufactured　under　license　in　Czechoslovakia。
　He　glanced　at　Ross。
　〃Just　precautions；〃　Ross　said。　〃We　carry　them　on　every　expedition。　It　doesn't　mean　anything。〃
　Elliot　shook　his　head。　〃Tell　me　about　your　GPU　from　Houston；〃　he　said。
　〃I'm　not　worried　about　it；〃　she　said。
　〃I　am；〃　Elliot　said。
　
　As　Ross　explained　it；　the　GPU　was　just　a　technical　report。　The　Zaire　government　had　closed　its　eastern　borders　during　the　previous　twenty…four　hours；　no　tourist　or　mercial　traffic　could　enter　the　country　from　Rwanda　or　Uganda；　everyone　now　had　to　enter　the　country　from　the　west；　through　Kinshasa。
　No　official　reason　was　given　for　closing　the　eastern　border；　although　sources　in　Washington　speculated　that　Idi　Amin's　troops；　fleeing　across　the　Zaire　border　from　the　Tanzanian　invasion　of　Uganda；　might　be　causing　〃local　difficulties。〃　In　central　Africa；　local　difficulties　usually　meant　cannibalism　and　other　atrocities。
　〃Do　you　believe　that？〃　Elliot　asked。　〃Cannibalism　and　atrocities？〃
　〃No；〃　Ross　said。　〃It's　all　a　lie。　It's　the　Dutch　and　the　Germans　and　the　Japanese…probably　your　friend　Morikawa。　The　Euro…Japanese　electronics　consortium　knows　that　ERTS　is　close　to　discovering　important　diamond　reserves　in　Virunga。　They　want　to　slow　us　down　as　much　as　they　can。　They've　got　the　fix　in　somewhere；　probably　in　Kinshasa；　and　closed　the　eastern　borders。　It's　nothing　more　than　that。〃
　〃If　there's　no　danger；　why　the　machine　guns？〃
　〃Just　precautions；〃　she　said　again。　〃We'll　never　use　machine　guns　on　this　trip；　believe　me。　Now　why　don't　you　get　some　sleep？　We'll　be　landing　in　Tangier　soon。〃
　〃Tangier？〃
　〃Captain　Munro　is　there。〃
　
　6。 Munro
　
　THE　NAME　OF　〃CAPTAIN〃　CHARLES　MUNRO　WAS　not　to　be　found　on　the　list　of　the　expedition　leaders　employed　by　any　of　the　usual　field　parties。　There　were　several　reasons　for　this；　foremost　among　them　his　distinctly　unsavory　reputation。
　Munro　had　been　raised　in　the　wild　Northern　Frontier　Province　of　Kenya；　the　illegitimate　son　of　a　Scottish　farmer　and　his　handsome　Indian　housekeeper。　Munro's　father　had　the　bad　luck　to　be　killed　by　Mau　Mau　guerillas　in　1956。　*　Soon　afterward；　Munro's　mother　died　of　tuberculosis；　and　Munro　made　his　way　to　Nairobi　where　in　the　late　1950s　he　worked　as　a　white　hunter；　leading　parties　of　tourists　into　the　bush。　It　was　during　this　time　that　Munro　awarded　himself　the　title　of　〃Captain；〃　although　he　had　never　served　in　the　military。
　Apparently；　Captain　Munro　found　humoring　tourists　uncongenial；　by　1960；　he　was　reported　running　guns　from　Uganda　into　the　newly　independent　Congo。　After　Moise　Tshombe　went　into　exile　in　1963；　Munro's　activities　became　politically　embarrassing；　and　ultimately　forced　him　to　disappear　from　East　Africa　in　late　1963。
　He　appeared　again　in　1964；　as　one　of　General　Mobutu's　white　mercenaries　in　the　Congo；　under　the　leadership　of　Colonel　〃Mad　Mike〃　Hoare。　Hoare　assessed　Munro　as　a　〃hard；　lethal　customer　who　knew　the　jungle　and　was　highly　effective；　when　we　could　get　him　away　from　the　ladies。〃　
　*Although　more　than　nineteen　thousand　people　were　killed　in　the　Mau　Mau　uprisings。　only　thirty…seven　whites　were　killed　during　seven　years　of　terrorism。　Each　dead　white　was　properly　regarded　more　as　a　victim　of　circumstance　than　of　emerging　black　politics。
　
　Following　the　capture　of　Stanleyville　in　Operation　Dragon　Rouge；　Munro's　name　was　associated　with　the　mercenary　atrocities　at　a　village　called　Avakabi。　Munro　again　disappeared　for　several　years。
　In　1968；　he　re…emerged　in　Tangier；　where　he　lived　splendidly　and　was　something　of　a　local　character。　The　source　of　Munro'。s　obviously　substantial　ine　was　unclear；　but　he　was　said　to　have　supplied　munist　Sudanese　rebels　with　East　German　light　arms　in　1971；　to　have　assisted　the　royalist　Ethiopians　in　their　rebellion　in　1974…1975；　and　to　have　assisted　the　French　paratroopers　who　dropped　into　Zaire's　Shaba　province　in　1978。
　His　mixed　activities　made　Munro　a　special　case　in　Africa　in　the　1970s；　although　he　was　persona　non　grata　in　a　half…dozen　African　states；　he　traveled　freely　throughout　the　continent；　using　various　passports。　It　was　a　transparent　ruse：　every　border　official　recognized　him　on　sight；　but　these　officials　were　equally　afraid　to　let　him　enter　the　country　or　to　deny　him　entry。
　Foreign　mining　and　exploration　panies；　sensitive　to　local　feeling；　were　reluctant　to　hire　Munro　as　an　expedition　leader　for　their　parties。　It　was　also　true　that　Munro　was　by　far　the　most　expensive　of　the　bush　guides。　Nevertheless；　he　had　a　reputation　for　getting　tough；　difficult　jobs　done。　Under　an　assumed　name；　he　had　taken　two　German　tin…mining　parties　into　the　Cameroons　in　1974；　and　he　had　led　one　previous　ERTS　expedition　into　Angola　during　the　height　of　the　armed　conflict　in　1977。　He　quit　another　ERTS　field　group　headed　for　Zambia　the　following　year　after　Houston　refused　to　meet　his　price：　Houston　had　canceled　the　expedition。
　In　short；　Munro　was　acknowledged　as　the　best　man　for　dangerous　travel。　That　was　why　the　ERTS　jet　stopped　in　Tangier。
　
　At　the　Tangier　airport；　the　ERTS　cargo　jet　and　its　contents　were　bonded；　but　all　ongoing　personnel　except　Amy　passed　through　customs；　carrying　their　personal　belongings。　Jensen　and　Irving　were　pulled　aside　for　searches；　trace　quantities　of　heroin　were　discovered　in　their　hand　baggage。
　This　bizarre　event　occurred　through　a　series　of　remarkable　coincidences；　In　1977；　United　States　customs　agents　began　to　employ　neutron　backscatter　devices；　as　well　as　chemical　vapor　detectors；　or　sniffers。　Both　were　hand…held　electronic　devices　manufactured　under　contract　by　Morikawa　Electronics　in　Tokyo。　In　1978；　questions　arose　about　the　accuracy　of　these　devices；　Morikawa　suggested　that　they　be　tested　at　other　ports　of　entry　around　the　world；　including　Singapore；　Bangkok；　Delhi；　Munich；　and　Tangier。
　Thus　Morikawa　Electronics　knew　the　capabilities　of　the　detectors　at　Tangier　airport；　and　they　also　knew　that　a　variety　of　substances；　including　ground　poppy　seeds　and　shredded　turnip；　would　produce　a　false…positive　registration　on　airport　sensors。　And　the　〃false…positive　net〃　required　forty…eight　hours　to　untangle。　（It　was　later　shown　that　both　men　had　somehow　acquired　traces　of　turnip　on　their　briefcases。）
　Both　Irving　and　Jensen　vigorously　denied　any　knowledge　of　illicit　material；　and　appealed　to　the　local　U。S。　consular　office。　But　the　case　could　not　be　resolved　for　several　days；　Ross　telephoned　Travis　in　Houston；　who　determined　it　was　a　〃Dutch　herring。〃　There　was　nothing　to　be　done　except　to　carry　on；　and　continue　with　the　expedition　as　best　they　could。
　〃They　think　this　will　stop　us；〃　Travis　said；　〃but　it　won't。〃
　〃Who's　going　to　do　the　geology？〃　Ross　asked。
　〃You　are；〃　Travis　said。
　〃And　the　electronics？〃
　〃You're　the　certified　genius；〃　Travis　said。　〃Just　make　sure　you　have　Munro。　He's　the　key　to　everything。〃
　
　The　song　of　the　muezzin　floated　over　the　pastel　jumble　of　houses　in　the　Tangier　Casbah　at　twilight；　calling　the　faithful　to　evening　prayer。　In　the　old　days；　the　muezzin　himself　appeared　in　the　minarets　of　the　mosque；　but　now　a　recording　played　over　loudspeakers：　a　mechanized　call　to　the　Muslim　ritual　of　obeisance。
　Karen　Ross　sat　on　the　terrace　of　Captain　Munro's　house　overlooking　the　Casbah　and　waited　for　her　audience　with　the　man　himself。　Beside　her；　Peter　Elliot　sat　in　a　chair　and　snored　noisily；　exhausted　from　the　long　flight。
　They　had　been　waiting　nearly　three　hours