michael crichton.congo-第27节

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　〃That's　the　best　way。　You　won't　be　frightened。〃
　〃But　I　am　frightened。〃
　〃I　can　help　you　with　that；〃　Munro　said；　and　he　pushed　Elliot　out　of　the　plane。
　Munro　watched　him　fall　away；　his　grin　instantly　gone。　Munro　had　adopted　his　hearty　demeanor　only　for　Elliot's　benefit。　〃If　a　man　has　to　do　something　dangerous；〃　he　said　later；　'it　helps　to　be　angry。　It's　for　his　own　protection；　really。　Better　he　should　hate　someone　than　fall　apart。　I　wanted　Elliot　to　hate　me　all　the　way　down。〃
　Munro　understood　the　risks；　The　minute　they　left　the　aircraft；　they　also　left　civilization；　and　all　the　unquestioned　assumptions　of　civilization。　They　were　jumping　not　only　through　the　air；　but　through　time；　backward　into　a　more　primitive　and　dangerous　way　of　life…the　eternal　realities　of　the　Congo；　which　had　existed　for　centuries　before　them。　〃Those　were　the　facts　of　life；〃　Munro　said；　〃but　I　didn't　see　any　reason　to　worry　the　others　before　they　jumped。　My　job　was　to　get　those　people　into　the　Congo；　not　scare　them　to　death。　There　was　plenty　of　time　for　that。〃
　
　Elliot　fell；　scared　to　death。
　His　stomach　jumped　into　his　throat；　and　he　tasted　bile；　the　wind　screamed　around　his　ears　and　tugged　at　his　hair；　and　the　air　was　so　cold…he　was　instantly　chilled　and　shivering。　Below　him　the　Barawana　Forest　lay　spread　across　rolling　hills。　He　felt　no　appreciation　for　the　beauty　before　him；　and　in　fact　he　closed　his　eyes；　for　he　was　plummeting　at　hideous　speed　toward　the　ground。　But　with　his　eyes　shut　he　was　more　aware　of　the　screaming　wind。
　Too　much　time　had　passed。　Obviously　the　parafoil　（whatever　the　hell　that　was）　was　not　going　to　open。　His　life　now　depended　on　the　parachute　attached　to　his　chest。　He　clutched　it；　a　small　tight　bundle　near　his　churning　stomach。　Then　he　pulled　his　hands　away：　he　didn't　want　to　interfere　with　its　opening。　He　dimly　remembered　that　people　had　died　that　way；　when　they　interfered　with　the　opening　of　their　parachute。
　The　screaming　wind　continued；　his　body　rushed　sickeningly　downward。　Nothing　was　happening。　He　felt　the　fierce　wind　tugging　at　his　feet；　whipping　his　trousers；　flapping　his
　shirt　against　his　arms。　Nothing　was　happening。　It　had　been　at　least　three　minutes　since　he'd　jumped　from　the　plane。　He　dared　not　open　his　eyes；　for　fear　of　seeing　the　trees　rushing　up　close　as　his　body　crashed　downward　toward　them　in　his　final　seconds　of　conscious　life。
　He　was　going　to　throw　up。
　Bile　dribbled　from　his　mouth；　but　since　he　was　falling　head　downward；　the　liquid　ran　up　his　chin　to　his　neck　and　then　inside　his　shirt。　It　was　freezing　cold。　His　shivering　was　being　uncontrollable。
　He　snapped　upright　with　a　bone…twisting　jolt。
　For　an　instant　he　thought　he　had　hit　the　ground；　and　then　he　realized　that　he　was　still　descending　through　the　air；　but　more　slowly。　He　opened　his　eyes　and　stared　at　pale　blue　sky。
　He　looked　down；　and　was　shocked　to　see　that　he　was　still　thousands　of　feet　from　the　earth。　Obviously　he　had　only　been　falling　a　few　seconds　from　the　airplane　above　him…　Looking　up；　he　could　not　see　the　plane。　Directly　overhead　was　a　giant　rectangular　shape；　with　brilliant　red；　white；　and　blue　stripes：　the　parafoil。　Finding　it　easier　to　look　up　than　down；　he　studied　the　parafoil　intently。　The　leading　edge　was　curved　and　puffy；　the　rear　edge　thin；　fluttering　in　the　breeze。　The　parafoil　looked　very　much　like　an　airplane　wing；　with　cords　running　down　to　his　body。
　He　took　a　deep　breath　and　looked　down。　He　was　still　very　high　over　the　landscape。　There　was　some　fort　in　the　slowness　with　which　he　was　descending。　It　was　really　rather　peaceful。
　And　then　he　noticed　he　wasn't　moving　down；　he　was　moving　sideways。　He　could　see　the　other　parafoils　below；　Kahega　and　his　men　and　Ross；　he　tried　to　count　them；　and　thought　there　were　six；　but　he　had　difficulty　concentrating。　He　appeared　to　be　moving　laterally　away　from　them。
　He　tugged　on　the　lines　in　his　left　hand；　and　he　felt　his　body　twist　as　the　parafoil　moved；　taking　him　to　the　left。
　Not　bad；　he　thought。
　He　pulled　harder　on　the　left　cords；　ignoring　the　fact　that　this　seemed　to　make　him　move　faster。　He　tried　to　stay　near　the　rectangles　descending　beneath　him。　He　heard　the　scream　of　the　wind　in　his　ears。　He　looked　up；　hoping　to　see　Munro；　but　all　he　could　see　was　the　stripes　of　his　own　parafoil。
　He　looked　back　down；　and　was　astonished　to　find　that　the　ground　was　a　great　deal　closer。　In　fact；　it　seemed　to　be　rushing　up　to　him　at　brutal　speed。　He　wondered　where　he　had　got　the　idea　that　he　was　drifting　gently　downward。　There　was　nothing　gentle　about　his　descent　at　all。　He　saw　the　first　of　the　parafoils　crumple　gently　as　Kahega　touched　ground；　then　the　second；　and　the　third。
　It　wouldn't　be　long　before　he　landed。　He　was　approaching　the　level　of　the　trees；　but　his　lateral　movement　was　very　fast。　He　realized　that　his　left　hand　was　rigidly　pulling　on　the　cords。　He　released　his　grip；　and　his　lateral　movement　ceased。　He　drifted　forward。
　Two　more　parafoils　crumpled　on　impact。　He　looked　back　to　see　Kahega　and　his　men；　already　down；　gathering　up　the　cloth。　They　were　all　right；　that　was　encouraging。
　He　was　sliding　right　into　a　dense　clump　of　trees。　He　pulled　his　cords　and　twisted　to　the　right；　his　whole　body　tilting。　He　was　moving　very　fast　now。　The　trees　could　not　be　avoided。　He　was　going　to　smash　into　them。　The　branches　seemed　to　reach　up　like　fingers；　grasping　for　him。
　He　closed　his　eyes；　and　felt　the　branches　scratching　at　his　face　and　body　as　he　crashed　down；　knowing　that　any　second　he　was　going　to　hit；　that　he　was　going　to　hit　the　ground　and　roll…　He　never　hit。
　Everything　became　silent。　He　felt　himself　bobbing　up　and　down。　He　opened　his　eyes　and　saw　that　he　was　swinging　four　feet　above　the　ground。　His　parafoil　had　caught　in　the　trees。
　He　fumbled　with　his　harness　buckles；　and　fell　out　onto　the　earth。　As　he　picked　himself　up；　Kahega　and　Ross　came　running　over　to　ask　if　he　was　all　right。
　〃I'm　fine；〃　Elliot　said；　and　indeed　he　felt　extraordinarily　fine；　more　alive　than　he　could　ever　remember　feeling。　The　next　instant　he　fell　over　on　rubber　legs　and　promptly　threw　up。
　Kahega　laughed。　〃Wele　to　the　Congo；〃　he　said。
　Elliot　wiped　his　chin　and　said；　〃Where　is　Amy？〃
　A　moment　later　Munro　landed；　with　a　bleeding　ear　where　Amy　had　bitten　him　in　terror。　But　Amy　was　not　the　worse　for　the　experience；　and　came　running　on　her　knuckles　over　to　Elliot；　making　sure　that　he　was　all　right；　and　then　signing；　Amy　fly　no　like。
　
　〃Look　out！〃
　The　first　of　the　torpedo…shaped　Crosslin　packets　smashed　down；　exploding　like　a　bomb　when　it　hit　the　ground；　spraying　equipment　and　straw　in　all　directions。
　〃There's　the　second　one！〃
　Elliot　dived　for　safety。　The　second　bomb　hit　just　a　few　yards　away；　he　was　pelted　with　foil　containers　of　food　and　rice。　Overhead；　he　heard　the　drone　of　the　circling　Fokker　airplane。　He　got　to　his　feet　in　time　to　see　the　final　two　Crosslin　containers　crash　down；　and　Kahega's　men　running　for　safety；　with　Ross　shouting；　〃Careful；　those　have　the　lasers！〃
　It　was　like　being　in　the　middle　of　a　blitz；　but　as　swiftly　as　it　had　begun　it　was　over。　The　Fokker　above　them　flew　off；　and　the　sky　was　silent；　the　men　began　repacking　the　equipment　and　burying　the　parafoils；　while　Munro　barked　instructions　in　Swahili。
　Twenty　minutes　later；　they　were　moving　single…file　through　the　forest；　starting　a　two…hundred…mile　trek　that　would　lead　them　into　the　unexplored　eastern　reaches　of　the　Congo；　to　a　fabulous　reward。
　If　they　could　reach　it　in　time。
　
　2。Kigani
　
　ONCE　PAST　THE　INITIAL　SHOCK　OF　HIS　JUMP；　ELLIOT　enjoyed　the　walk　through　the　Barawana　Forest。　Monkeys　chattered　in　the　trees；　and　birds　called　in　the　cool　air；　the　Kikuyu　porters　were　strung　out　behind　them；　smoking　cigarettes　and　joking　with　one　another　iii　an　exotic　tongue。　Elliot　found　all　his　emotions　agreeable…the　sense　of　freedom　from　a　crass　civilization；　the　sense　of　adventure；　of　unexpected　events　that　might　occur　at　any　future　moment；　and　finally　the　sense　of　romance；　of　a　quest　for　the　poignant　past　while　omnipresent　danger　kept　sensation　at　a　peak　of　intense　feeling。　It　was　in　this　heightened　mood　that　he　listened　to　the　forest　animals　around　him；　viewed　the　play　of　sunlight　and　shadow；　felt　the　springy　ground　beneath　his　boots；　and　looked　over　at　Karen　Ross；　whom　he　found　beautiful　and　graceful　in　an　utterly　unexpected　way。
　Karen　Ross　did　not　look　back　at　him。
　As　she　walked；　she　twisted　knobs　on　one　of　her　black　electronic　boxes；　trying　to　establish　a　signal。　A　second　electronic　box　hung　from　a　shoulder　strap；　and　since　she　did　not　turn　to　look　at　him；　he　had　time　to　notice　that　there　was　already　a　dark　stain　of　sweat　at　her　shoulder；　and　'another　running　down　the　back　of　her　shirt。　Her　dark　blonde　hair　was　damp；　clinging　unattractively　to　the　back　of　her　head。　And　he　noticed　that　her　trousers　were　wrinkled；　streaked　with　dirt　from　the　fall。　She　still　did　not　look　back。
　〃Enjoy　the　forest；〃　Munro　advised　him。　〃This　is　the　last　time　you'll　feel　cool　and　dry　for　quite　a　while。〃
　Elliot　agreed　that　the　forest　was　pleasant。
　〃Yes；　very　pleasant。〃　Munro　nodded；　with　an　odd　expression　on　his　face。
　The　Barawana　Forest　was　not　virginal。　From　time　to　time；　they　passed　clear