michael crichton.congo-第24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！


　The　puter　kept　ing　back　with　reduced　times；　but　from　Present　Point　（Nairobi）　the　total　elapsed　times　were　always　too　long。　The　best　projection　beat　the　consortium　by　thirty…seven　minutes…which　was　nothing　to　rely　on。　He　frowned；　and　smoked　a　cigar。　Perhaps　if　he　crossed　the　Liko　River　at　Mugana。
　He　punched　the　buttons。
　It　didn't　help。　Crossing　the　Liko　was　slower。　He　tried　trekking　through　the　Goroba　Valley；　even　though　it　was　probably　too　hazardous　to　execute。
　
　PROPOSED　ROUTING　EXCESSIVELY　HAZARDOUS
　
　〃Great　minds　think　alike；〃　Munro　said；　smoking　his　cigar。　But　it　started　him　wondering：　were　there　other；　unorthodox　approaches　they　had　overlooked？　And　then　he　had　an　idea。
　The　others　wouldn't　like　it；　but　it　might　work。　。
　Munro　called　the　logistics　equipment　list。　Yes；　they　were　equipped　for　it。　He　punched　in　the　routing；　smiling　as　he　saw　the　line　streak　straight　across　Africa；　within　a　few　miles　of　their　destination。　He　called　for　outes。
　
　PROPOSED　ROUTING　UNACCEPTABLE。
　
　He　pressed　the　override　button；　got　the　data　outes　anyway。　It　was　just　as　he　thought…they　could　beat　the　consortium　by　a　full　forty　hours。　Nearly　two　full　days！
　The　puter　went　back　to　the　previous　statement：
　
　PROPOSED　ROUTING　UNACCEPTABLE　/　ALTITUDE　FACTORS　/　HAZARDS　TO　PERSONNEL　EXCESSIVE　/　PROBABILITY　SUCCESS　UNDER　LIMITS　/
　
　Munro　didn't　think　that　was　true。　He　thought　they　could　pull　it　off；　especially　if　the　weather　was　good。　The　altitude　wouldn't　be　a　problem；　and　the　ground　although　rough　would　be　reasonably　yielding。
　In　fact；　the　more　Munro　thought　about　it；　the　more　certain　he　was　that　it　would　work。
　
　9。　Departure
　
　THE　LITTLE　FOKKER　S…144　PROP　PLANE　WAS　PULLED　up　alongside　the　giant　747　cargo　jet；　like　an　infant　nursing　at　its　mother's　breast。　Two　cargo　ramps　were　in　constant　motion　as　men　transferred　equipment　from　the　larger　plane　to　the　smaller　one。　Returning　to　the　airfield；　Ross　explained　to　hot　that　they　would　be　taking　the　smaller　plane；　since　the　747　had　to　be　debugged；　and　since　it　was　〃too　large〃　for　their　needs　now。
　〃But　the　jet　must　be　faster；〃　Elliot　said。
　〃Not　necessarily；〃　Ross　said；　but　she　did　not　explain　further。
　In　any　case；　things　were　now　happening　very　fast；　and　Elliot　had　other　concerns。　He　helped　Amy　aboard　the　Fokker；　and　checked　her　thoroughly。　She　seemed　to　be　bruised　all　over　her　body…at　least　she　plained　that　everything　hurt　when　he　touched　her…but　she　had　no　broken　bones；　and　she　was　in　good　spirits。
　Several　black　men　were　loading　equipment　into　the　airplane；　laughing　and　slapping　each　other　on　the　back；　having　a　fine　time。　Amy　was　intrigued　with　the　men；　demanding　to　know　What　joke　？　But　they　ignored　her；　concentrating　on　the　work　at　hand。　And　she　was　still　groggy　from　her　medication。　Soon　she　fell　asleep。
　Ross　supervised　the　loading；　and　Elliot　moved　toward　the　rear　of　the　plane；　where　she　was　talking　with　a　jolly　black　man；　whom　she　introduced　as　Kahega。
　〃Ah；〃　Kahega　said；　shaking　Elliot's　hand。　〃Dr。　Elliot。　Dr。　Ross　and　Dr。　Elliot；　two　doctors；　very　excellent。〃
　Elliot　was　not　sure　why　it　was　excellent。
　Kahega　laughed　infectiously。　〃Very　good　cover；〃　he　announced。　〃Not　like　the　old　days　with　Captain　Munro。　Now　two　doctors…a　medical　mission；　yes？　Very　excellent。　Where　are　the　'medical　supplies'？〃　He　cocked　an　eyebrow。
　〃We　have　no　medical　supplies。〃　Ross　sighed。
　〃Oh；　very　excellent；　Doctor；　I　like　your　manner；〃　Kahega　said。　〃You　are　American；　yes？　We　take　what；　M…16s？　Very　good　rifle；　M…16。　I　prefer　it　myself。〃
　〃Kahega　thinks　we　are　running　guns；〃　Ross　said。　〃He　just　can't　believe　we　aren't。〃
　Kahega　was　laughing。　〃You　are　with　Captain　Munro！〃　he　said；　as　if　this　explained　everything。　And　then　he　went　off　to　see　about　the　other　workmen。
　〃You　sure　we　aren't　running　guns？〃　Elliot　asked　when　they　were　alone。
　〃We're　after　something　more　valuable　than　guns；〃　Ross　said。　She　was　repacking　the　equipment；　working　quickly。　Elliot　asked　if　he　could　help；　but　she　shook　her　head。　〃I've　got　to　do　this　myself。　We　have　to　get　it　down　to　forty　pounds　per　person。〃
　〃Forty　pounds？　For　everything？〃
　〃That's　what　the　puter　projection　allows。　Munro's　brought　in　Kahega　and　seven　other　Kikuya　assistants。　With　the　three　of　us；　that　makes　eleven　people　all　together；　plus　Amy…she　gets　her　full　forty　pounds。　But　it　means　a　total　of　four　hundred　eighty　pounds。〃　Ross　continued　to　weigh　packs　and　parcels　of　food。
　The　news　gave　Elliot　serious　misgivings。　The　expedition　was　taking　yet　another　turn；　into　still　greater　danger。　His　immediate　desire　to　back　out　was　checked　by　his　memory　of　the　video　screen；　and　the　gray　gorilla　like　creature　that　he　suspected　was　a　new；　unknown　animal。　That　was　a　discovery　worth　risk。　He　stared　out　the　window　at　the　porters。　〃They're　Kikuyu？〃
　〃Yes；〃　she　said。　〃They're　good　porters；　even　if　they　never　shut　up。　Kikuyu　tribesmen　love　to　talk。　They're　all　brothers；　by　the　way；　so　be　careful　what　you　say。　I　just　hope　Munro　didn't　have　to　tell　them　too　much。〃
　〃The　Kikuyu？〃
　〃No；　the　NCNA。〃
　〃The　NCNA；〃　Elliot　repeated。
　〃The　Chinese。　The　Chinese　are　very　interested　in　puters　and　electronic　technology；〃　Ross　said。　〃Munro　must　be　telling　them　something　in　exchange　for　the　advice　they're　giving　him。〃　She　gestured　to　the　window；　and　Elliot　looked　out。　Sure　enough；　Munro　stood　under　the　shadow　of　the　747　wing；　talking　with　four　Chinese　men。
　〃Here；〃　Ross　said；　〃stow　these　in　that　corner。〃　She　pointed　to　three　large　Styrofoam　cartons　marked　AMERICAN　SPORT　DIVERS；　LAKE　ELSINORE；　CALIF。
　〃We　doing　underwater　work？〃　Elliot　asked；　puzzled。
　But　Ross　wasn't　paying　attention。　〃I　just　wish　I　knew　what　he　was　telling　them；〃　she　said。　But　as　it　turned　out；　Ross　needn't　have　worried；　for　Munro　paid　the　Chinese　in　something　more　valuable　to　them　than　electronics　information。
　The　Fokker　lifted　off　from　the　Nairobi　runway　at　14：24　hours；　three　minutes　ahead　of　their　new　timeline　schedule。
　
　During　the　sixteen　hours　following　Amy's　recovery；　the　ERTS　expedition　traveled　560　miles　across　the　borders　of　four　countries…Kenya；　Tanzania；　Rwanda；　and　Zaire…as　they　went　from　Nairobi　to　the　Barawana　Forest；　at　the　edge　of　the　Congo　rain　forest。　The　logistics　of　this　plex　move　would　have　been　impossible　without　the　assistance　of　an　outside　ally。　Munro　said　that　he　〃had　friends　in　low　places；〃　and　in　this　case　he　had　turned　to　the　Chinese　Secret　Service；　in　Tanzania。
　The　Chinese　had　been　active　in　Africa　since　the　early　1960s；　when　their　spy　networks　attempted　to　influence　the　course　of　the　Congolese　civil　war　because　China　wanted　access　to　the　Congo's　rich　supplies　of　uranium。　Field　operatives　were　run　out　of　the　Bank　of　China　or；　more　monly；　the　New　China　News　Agency。　Munro　had　dealt　with　a　number　of　NCNA　〃war　correspondents〃　when　he　was　running　arms　from　1963　to　1968；　and　he　had　never　lost　his　contacts。
　The　Chinese　financial　mitment　to　Africa　was　considerable。　In　the　late　1960s；　more　than　half　of　China's　two　billion　dollars　in　foreign　aid　went　to　African　nations。　An　equal　sum　was　spent　secretly；　in　1973；　Mao　Tse…tung　plained　publicly　about　the　money　he　had　wasted　trying　to　overthrow　the　Zaire　government　of　President　Mobutu。
　The　Chinese　mission　in　Africa　was　meant　to　counter　the　Russian　influence；　but　since　World　War　lithe　Chinese　bore　no　great　love　for　the　Japanese；　and　Munro's　desire　to　beat　the　Euro…Japanese　consortium　fell　on　sympathetic　ears。　To　celebrate　the　alliance；　Munro　had　brought　three　grease…stained　cardboard　cartons　from　Hong　Kong。
　The　two　chief　Chinese　operatives　in　Africa；　Li　T'ao　and　Liu　Shu…wen；　were　both　from　Hunan　province。　They　found　their　African　posting　tedious　because　of　the　bland　African　food；　and　gratefully　accepted　Munro's　gift　of　a　case　of　tree　ears　fungus；　a　case　of　hot　bean　sauce；　and　a　case　of　chili　paste　with　garlic。　The　fact　that　these　spices　came　from　neutral　Hong　Kong；　and　were　not　the　inferior　condiments　produced　in　Taiwan；　was　a　subtle　point；　in　any　case；　the　gift　struck　exactly　the　proper　note　for　an　informal　exchange。
　NCNA　operatives　assisted　Munro　with　paperwork；　some　difficult…to…obtain　equipment；　and　information。　The　Chinese　possessed　excellent　maps；　and　remarkably　detailed　information　about　conditions　along　the　northeast　Zaire　border…　since　they　were　assisting　the　Tanzanian　troops　invading　Uganda。　The　Chinese　had　told　him　that　the　jungle　rivers　were　flooding；　and　had　advised　him　to　procure　a　balloon　for　crossings。　But　Munro　did　not　bother　to　take　their　advice；　indeed；　he　seemed　to　have　some　plan　to　reach　his　destination　without　crossing　any　rivers　at　all。　Although　how；　the　Chinese　could　not　imagine。
　
　At　10　P。M。　on　June　16；　the　Fokker　stopped　to　refuel　at　Rawamagena　airport；　outside　Kigali　in　Rwanda。　The　local　traffic　control　officer　boarded　the　plane　with　a　clipboard　and　forms；　asking　their　next　destination。　Munro　said　that　it　was　Rawamagena　airport；　meaning　that　the　aircraft　would　make　a　loop；　then　return。
　Elliot　frowned。　〃But　we're　going　to　land　somewhere　in　the…〃
　〃Sh…h…h；〃　Ross　said；　shaking　her　head。　〃Leave　it　alone。〃
　Certainly　the　traffic　officer　seemed　content　with　this　flight　plan；　once　the　pilot　signed　the　clipboard；　he　departed。　Ross　explained　that　f