michael crichton.congo-第2节

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seless　as　gemstones。　Kruger　had　examined　several；　and　they　were　all　blue　from　impurities。
　For　ten　days；　the　expedition　had　been　tracing　back　placer　deposits。　This　was　standard　procedure：　if　you　found　gold　or　diamonds　in　streambeds；　you　moved　upstream　toward　the　presumed　erosive　source　of　the　minerals。　The　expedition　had　moved　to　higher　ground　along　the　western　slopes　of　the　Virgunga　volcanic　chain。　It　was　all　going　routinely　until　one　day　around　noon　when　the　porters　flatly　refused　to　proceed　further。
　This　part　of　Virunga；　they　said；　was　called　kanyamagufa；
　which　meant　〃the　place　of　bones。〃　The　porters　insisted　that　any　men　foolish　enough　to　go　further　would　have　their　bones　broken；　particularly　their　skulls。　They　kept　touching　their　cheekbones；　and　repeating　that　their　skulls　would　be　crushed。
　The　porters　were　Bantu…speaking　Arawanis　from　the　nearest　large　town；　Kisangani。　Like　most　town…dwelling　natives；　they　had　all　sorts　of　superstitions　about　the　Congo　jungle。　Kruger　called　for　the　headman。
　〃What　tribes　are　here？〃　Kruger　asked；　pointing　to　the　jungle　ahead。
　〃No　tribes；〃　the　headman　said。
　〃No　tribes　at　all？　Not　even　Bambuti？〃　he　asked；　referring　to　the　nearest　group　of　pygmies。
　〃No　men　e　here；〃　the　headman　said。　〃This　is　kanyamagufa。〃
　〃Then　what　crushes　the　skulls？〃
　〃Dawa；〃　the　headman　said　ominously；　using　the　Bantu　term　for　magical　forces。　〃Strong　dawa　here。　Men　stay　away。〃
　Kruger　sighed。　Like　many　white　men；　he　was　thoroughly　sick　of　hearing　about　dawa。　Dawa　was　everywhere；　in　plants　and　rocks　and　storms　and　enemies　of　all　kinds。　But　the　belief　in　dawa　was　prevalent　throughout　much　of　Africa　and　strongly　held　in　the　Congo。
　Kruger　had　been　obliged　to　waste　the　rest　of　the　day　in　tedious　negotiation。　In　the　end；　he　doubled　their　wages　and　promised　them　firearms　when　they　returned　to　Kisangani；　and　they　agreed　to　continue　on。　Kruger　considered　the　incident　an　irritating　native　ploy。　Porters　could　generally　be　counted　on　to　invoke　some　local　superstition　to　increase　their　wages；　once　an　expedition　was　deep　enough　into　the　field　to　be　dependent　on　them。　He　had　budgeted　for　this　eventuality　and；　having　agreed　to　their　demands；　he　thought　no　more　about　it。
　Even　when　they　came　upon　several　areas　littered　with　shattered　fragments　of　bone…which　the　porters　found　frightening…Kruger　was　not　concerned。　Upon　examination；　he　found　the　bones　were　not　human　but　rather　the　small　delicate　bones　of　colobus　monkeys；　the　beautiful　shaggy　black…and…
　white　creatures　that　lived　in　the　trees　overhead。　It　was　true　that　there　were　a　lot　of　bones；　and　Kruger　had　no　idea　why　they　should　be　shattered；　but　he　had　been　in　Africa　a　long　time；　and　he　had　seen　many　inexplicable　things。
　Nor　was　he　any　more　impressed　with　the　overgrown　fragments　of　stone　that　suggested　a　city　had　once　stood　in　this　area。　Kruger　had　e　upon　unexplored　ruins　before；　too。　In　Zimbabwe；　in　Broken　Hill；　in　Maniliwi；　there　were　the　remains　of　cities　and　temples　that　no　twentieth…century　scientist　had　ever　seen　and　studied。
　He　camped　the　first　night　near　the　ruins。
　The　porters　were　panic…stricken；　insisting　that　the　evil　forces　would　attack　them　during　the　night。　Their　fear　was　caught　by　the　American　geologists；　to　pacify　them；　Kruger　had　posted　two　guards　that　night；　himself　and　the　most　trustworthy　porter；　Misulu。　Kruger　thought　it　was　all　a　lot　of　rot；　but　it　had　seemed　the　politic　thing　to　do。
　And　just　as　he　expected；　the　night　had　passed　quietly。　Around　midnight　there　had　been　some　movement　in　the　bush；　and　some　low　wheezing　sounds；　which　he　took　to　be　a　leopard。　Big　cats　often　had　respiratory　trouble；　particularly　in　the　jungle。　Otherwise　it　was　quiet；　and　now　it　was　dawn：　the　night　was　over。
　A　soft　beeping　sound　drew　his　attention。　Misulu　heard　it　too；　and　glanced　questioningly　at　Kruger。　On　the　transmitting　equipment；　a　red　light　blinked。　Kruger　got　up　and　crossed　the　campsite　to　the　equipment。　He　knew　how　to　operate　it；　the　Americans　had　insisted　that　he　learn；　as　an　〃emergency　procedure。〃　He　crouched　over　the　black　transmitter　box　with　its　rectangular　green　LED。
　He　pressed　buttons；　and　the　screen　printed　TX　HX；　meaning　a　transmission　from　Houston。　He　pressed　the　response　code；　and　the　screen　printed　CAM　LO　K。　That　meant　that　Houston　was　asking　for　video　camera　transmission。　He　glanced　over　at　the　camera　on　its　tripod　and　saw　that　the　red　light　on　the　case　had　blinked　on。　He　pressed　the　carrier　button　and　the　screen　printed　SATLOK；　which　meant　that　a　satellite　transmission　was　being　Locked　in。　There　would　now　be　a　six…minute　delay；　the　time　required　to　lock　the　satellite…bounced　signal。
　He'd　better　go　wake　Driscoll；　the　head　geologist；　he　thought。　Driscoll　would　need　a　few　minutes　before　the　transmission　came　through。　Kruger　found　it　amusing　the　way　the　Americans　always　put　on　a　fresh　shirt　and　bed　their　hair　before　stepping　in　front　of　the　camera。　Just　like　television　reporters。
　Overhead；　the　colobus　monkeys　shrieked　and　screamed　in　the　trees；　shaking　the　branches。　Kruger　glanced　upward；　wondering　what　had　set　them　going。　But　it　was　normal　for　colobus　monkeys　to　fight　in　the　morning。
　Something　struck　him　lightly　in　the　chest。　At　first　he　thought　it　was　an　insect　but；　glancing　down　at　his　khaki　shirt；　he　saw　a　spot　of　red；　and　a　fleshy　bit　of　red　fruit　rolled　down　his　shirt　to　the　muddy　ground。　The　damned　monkeys　were　throwing　berries。　He　bent　over　to　pick　it　up。　And　then　he　realized　that　it　was　not　a　piece　of　fruit　at　all。　It　was　a　human　eyeball；　crushed　and　slippery　in　his　fingers；　pinkish　white　with　a　shred　of　white　optic　nerve　still　attached　at　the　back。
　He　swung　his　gun　around　and　looked　over　to　where　Misulu　was　sitting　on　the　rock。　Misulu　was　not　there。
　Kruger　moved　across　the　campsite。　Overhead；　the　colobus　monkeys　fell　silent。　He　heard　his　boots　squish　in　the　mud　as　he　moved　past　the　tents　of　sleeping　men。　And　then　he　heard　the　wheezing　sound　again。　It　was　an　odd；　soft　sound；　carried　on　the　swirling　morning　mist。　Kruger　wondered　if　he　had　been　mistaken；　if　it　was　really　a　leopard。
　And　he　saw　Misulu。　Misulu　lay　on　his　back；　in　a　kind　of　halo　of　blood。　His　skull　had　been　crushed　from　the　sides；　the　facial　bones　shattered；　the　face　narrowed　and　elongated；　the　mouth　open　in　an　obscene　yawn；　the　one　remaining　eye　wide　and　bulging。　The　other　eye　had　exploded　outward　with　the　force　of　the　impact。
　Kruger　felt　his　heart　pounding　as　he　bent　to　examine　the　body。　He　wondered　what　could　have　caused　such　an　injury。　And　then　he　heard　the　soft　wheezing　sound　again；　and　this
　time　he　felt　quite　sure　it　was　not　a　leopard。　Then　the　colobus　monkeys　began　their　shrieking；　and　Kruger　leapt　to　his　feet　and　screamed。
　
　DAY　1：　HOUSTON
　June　13；1979
　
　1。ERTS　Houston
　
　TEN　THOUSAND　MILES　AWAY；　IN　THE　COLD；　Windowless　main　data　room　of　Earth　Resources　Technology　Services；　Inc。；　of　Houston；　Karen　Ross　sat　hunched　over　a　mug　of　coffee　in　front　of　a　puter　terminal；　reviewing　the　latest　Landsat　images　from　Africa。　Ross　was　the　ERTS　Congo　Project　Supervisor；　and　as　she　manipulated　the　satellite　images　in　artificial　contrast　colors；　blue　and　purple　and　green；　she　glanced　at　her　watch　impatiently。　She　was　waiting　for　the　next　field　transmission　from　Africa。
　It　was　now　10：15　P。M。　Houston　time；　but　there　was　no　indication　of　time　or　place　in　the　room。　Day　or　night；　the　main　data　facility　of　ERTS　remained　the　same。　Beneath　banks　of　special　kalon　fluorescent　lights；　programming　crews　in　sweaters　worked　at　long　rows　of　quietly　clicking　puter　terminals；　providing　real…time　inputs　to　the　field　parties　that　ERTS　maintained　around　the　world。　This　timeless　quality　was　understood　to　be　necessary　for　the　puters；　which　required　a　constant　temperature　of　60　degrees；　dedicated　electrical　lines；　special　color…corrected　lights　that　did　not　interfere　with　circuitry。　It　was　an　environment　made　for　machines；　the　needs　of　people　were　secondary。
　But　there　was　another　rationale　for　the　main　facility　design。　ERTS　wanted　programmers　in　Houston　to　identify　with　the　field　parties；　and　if　possible　to　live　on　their　schedules。　Inputting　baseball　games　and　other　local　events　was　discouraged；　there　was　no　clock　which　showed　Houston　time；　although　on　the　far　wall　eight　large　digital　clocks　recorded　local　time　for　the　various　field　parties。
　The　clock　marked　CONGO　FIELD　PARTY　read　06：15　A。M。　when　the　overhead　inter　said；　〃Dr。　Ross；　CCR　bounce。〃
　She　left　the　console　after　punching　in　the　digital　password　blocking　codes。　Every　ERTS　terminal　had　a　password　control；　like　a　bination　lock。　It　was　part　of　an　elaborate　system　to　prevent　outside　sources　tapping　into　their　enormous　data　bank。　ERTS　dealt　in　information；　and　as　R。　B。　Travis；　the　head　of　ERTS；　was　fond　of　saying；　the　easiest　way　to　obtain　information　was　to　steal　it。
　She　crossed　the　room　with　long　strides。　Karen　Ross　was　nearly　six　feet　tall；　an　attractive　though　ungainly　girl。　Only　twenty…four　years　old；　she　was　younger　than　most　of　the　programmers；　but　despite　her　youth；　she　had　a　self…possession　that　most　people　found　striking…even　a　little　unsettling。　Karen　Ross　was　a　genuine　mathematical　prodigy。
　At　the　age　of　two；　while　acpanying　her　mother　to　the　supermarket；　she　had　wo