michael crichton.congo-第28节

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　The　Barawana　Forest　was　not　virginal。　From　time　to　time；　they　passed　cleared　fields　and　other　signs　of　human　habitation；　although　they　never　saw　farmers。　When　Elliot　mentioned　that　fact；　Munro　just　shook　his　head。　As　they　moved　deeper　into　the　forest　Munro　turned　self…absorbed；　unwilling　to　talk。　Yet　he　showed　an　interest　in　the　fauna；　frequently　pausing　to　listen　intently　to　bird　cries　before　signaling　the　expedition　to　continue　on。
　During　these　pauses；　Elliot　would　look　back　down　the　line　of　porters　with　loads　balanced　on　their　heads；　and　feel　acutely　his　kinship　with　Livingstone　and　Stanley　and　the　other　explorers　who　had　ventured　through　Africa　a　century　before。　And　in　this；　his　romantic　associations　were　accurate。　Central　African　life　was　little　changed　since　Stanley　explored　the　Congo　in　the　1870s；　and　neither　was　the　basic　nature　of　expeditions　to　that　region。　Serious　exploration　was　still　carried　out　on　foot；　porters　were　still　necessary；　expenses　were　still　daunting…and　so　were　the　dangers。
　
　By　midday；　Elliot's　boots　had　begun　to　hurt　his　feet；　and　he　found　that　he　was　exceedingly　tired。　Apparently　the　porters　were　tired　too；　because　they　had　fallen　silent；　no　longer　smoking　cigarettes　and　shouting　jokes　to　one　another　up　and　down　the　line。　The　expedition　proceeded　in　silence　until　Elliot　asked　Munro　if　they　were　going　to　stop　for　lunch。
　〃No；〃　Munro　said。
　〃Good；〃　Karen　Ross　said；　glancing　at　her　watch。
　Shortly　after　one　o'clock；　they　heard　the　thumping　of　helicopters。　The　reaction　of　Munro　and　the　porters　was　immediate…they　dived　under　a　stand　of　large　trees　and　waited；　looking　upwards。　Moments　later；　two　large　green　helicopters　passed　overhead；　Elliot　clearly　read　white　stenciling：　〃FZA。〃
　Munro　squinted　at　the　departing　craft。　They　were　American…made　Hueys；　he　had　not　been　able　to　see　the　armament。　〃It's　the　army；〃　he　said。　〃They're　looking　for　Kigani。〃
　An　hour　later；　they　arrived　at　a　clearing　where　manioc　was　being　grown。　A　crude　wooden　farmhouse　stood　in　the　center；　with　pale　smoke　issuing　from　a　chimney　and　laundry　on　a　wash　line　flapping　in　the　gentle　breeze。　But　they　saw　no　inhabitants。
　The　expedition　had　circled　around　previous　farm　clearings；　but　this　time　Munro　raised　his　hand　to　call　for　a　halt。　The　porters　dropped　their　loads　and　sat　in　the　grass；　not　speaking。
　The　atmosphere　was　tense；　although　Elliot　could　not　understand　why。　Munro　squatted　with　Kahega　at　the　edge　of　the　clearing；　watching　the　farmhouse　and　the　surrounding　fields。　After　twenty　minutes；　when　there　was　still　no　sign　of　movement；　Ross；　who　was　crouched　near　Munro；　became　impatient。　〃I　don't　see　why　we　are…〃
　Munro　clapped　his　hand　over　her　mouth。　He　pointed　to　the　clearing；　and　mouthed　one　word：　Kigani。
　Ross's　eyes　went　wide。　Munro　took　his　hand　away。
　They　all　stared　at　the　farmhouse。　Still　there　was　no　sign　of　life。　Ross　made　a　circular　movement　with　her　arm；　suggesting　that　they　circle　around　the　clearing　and　move　on。　Munro　shook　his　head；　and　pointed　to　the　ground；　indicating　that　she　should　sit。　Munro　looked　questioningly　at　Elliot；　and　pointed　to　Amy；　who　foraged　in　the　tall　grass　off　to　one　side。　He　seemed　to　be　concerned　that　Amy　would　make　noise。　Elliot　signed　to　Amy　to　be　quiet；　but　it　was　not　necessary。　Amy　had　sensed　the　general　tension；　and　glanced　warily　from　time　to　time　toward　the　farmhouse。
　Nothing　happened　for　several　more　minutes；　they　listened　to　the　buzz　of　the　cicadas　in　the　hot　midday　sun；　and　they　waited。　They　watched　the　laundry　flutter　in　the　breeze。
　Then　the　thin　wisp　of　blue　smoke　from　the　chimney　stopped。
　Munro　and　Kahega　exchanged　glances。　Kahega　slipped　back　to　where　the　porters　sat；　opened　one　load；　and　brought　out　a　machine　gun。　He　covered　the　safety　with　his　hand；　muffling　the　click　as　he　released　it。　It　was　incredibly　quiet　in　the　clearing。　Kahega　resumed　his　place　next　to　Munro　and　handed　him　the　gun。　Munro　checked　the　safety；　then　set　the　gun　on　the　ground。　They　waited　several　minutes　more。　Elliot　looked　at　Ross　but　she　was　not　looking　at　him。
　There　was　a　soft　creak　as　the　farmhouse　door　opened。　Munro　picked　up　the　machine　gun。
　No　one　came　out。　They　all　stared　at　the　open　door；　waiting。　And　then　finally　the　Kigani　stepped　into　the　sunlight。
　Elliot　counted　twelve　tall　muscular　men　armed　with　bows　and　arrows；　and　carrying　long　pangas　in　their　hands。　Their　legs　and　chests　were　streaked　with　white；　and　their　faces　were　solid　white；　which　gave　their　heads　a　menacing；　skull　like　appearance。　As　the　Kigani　moved　off　through　the　tall　manioc；　only　their　white　heads　were　visible；　looking　around　tensely。
　Even　after　they　were　gone；　Munro　remained　watching　the　silent　clearing　for　another　ten　minutes。　Finally　he　stood　and　sighed。　When　he　spoke；　his　voice　seemed　incredibly　loud。　〃Those　were　Kigani；〃　Munro　said。
　〃What　were　they　doing？〃　Ross　said。
　〃Eating；〃　Munro　said。　〃They　killed　the　family　in　that　house；　and　then　ate　them。　Most　farmers　have　left；　because　the　Kigani　are　on　the　rampage。〃
　He　signaled　Kahega　to　get　the　men　moving　again；　and　they　set　off；　skirting　around　the　clearing。　Elliot　kept　looking　at　the　farmhouse；　wondering　what　he　would　see　if　he　went　inside。　Munro's　statement　had　been　so　casual；　They　killed　the　family。　。　。　and　then　ate　them。
　〃I　suppose；〃　Ross　said；　looking　over　her　shoulder；　〃that　we　should　consider　ourselves　lucky。　We're　probably　among　the　last　people　in　the　world　to　see　these　things。〃
　Munro　shook　his　head。　〃I　doubt　it；〃　he　said。　〃Old　habits　die　hard。〃
　
　During　the　Congolese　civil　war　in　the　1960s；　reports　of　widespread　cannibalism　and　other　atrocities　shocked　the　Western　world。　But　in　fact　cannibalism　had　always　been　openly　practiced　in　central　Africa。
　In　1897；　Sidney　Hinde　wrote　that　〃nearly　all　the　tribes　in　the　Congo　Basin　either　are；　or　have　been；　cannibals；　and　among　some　of　them　the　practice　is　on　the　increase。〃　Hinde　was　impressed　by　the　undisguised　nature　of　Congolese　cannibalism：　〃The　captains　of　steamers　have　often　assured　me　that　whenever　they　try　to　buy　goats　from　the　natives；　slaves　are　demanded　in　exchange；　the　natives　often　e　aboard　with　tusks　of　ivory　with　the　intention　of　buying　a　slave；　plaining　that　meat　is　now　scarce　in　their　neighborhood。〃
　In　the　Congo；　cannibalism　was　not　associated　with　ritual　or　religion　or　war；　it　was　a　simple　dietary　preference。　The　Reverend　Holman　Bentley；　who　spent　twenty　years　in　the　region；　quoted　a　native　as　saying；　〃You　white　men　consider　pork　to　be　the　tastiest　of　meat；　but　pork　is　not　to　be　pared　with　human　flesh。〃　Bentley　felt　that　the　natives　〃could　not　understand　the　objections　raised　to　the　practice。　'You　eat　fowls　and　goats；　and　we　eat　men；　why　not？　What　is　the　difference？'
　This　frank　altitude　astonished　observers；　and　led　to　bizarre　customs。　In　1910；　Herbert　Ward　wrote　of　markets　where　slaves　were　sold　〃piecemeal　whilst　still　alive；　incredible　as　it　may　appear；　captives　are　led　from　place　to　place　in　order　that　individuals　may　have　the　opportunity　of　indicating；　by　external　marks　on　the　body；　the　portion　they　desire　to　acquire。　The　distinguishing　marks　are　generally　made　by　means　of　coloured　clay　or　strips　of　grass　tied　in　a　peculiar　fashion。　The　astounding　stoicism　of　the　victims；　who　thus　witness　the　bargaining　for　their　limbs　piecemeal；　is　only　equaled　by　the　callousness　with　which　they　walk　forward　to　meet　their　fate。〃
　Such　reports　cannot　be　dismissed　as　late…Victorian　hysteria；　for　all　observers　found　the　cannibals　likable　and　sympathetic。　Ward　wrote　that　〃the　cannibals　are　not　schemers　and　they　are　not　mean。　In　direct　opposition　to　all　natural　conjectures；　they　are　among　the　best　types　of　men。〃　Bentley　described　them　as　〃merry；　manly　fellows；　very　friendly　in　conversation　and　quite　demonstrative　in　their　affection。〃
　Under　Belgian　colonial　administration；　cannibalism　became　much　rarer…by　the　1950s；　there　were　even　a　few　graveyards　to　be　found…but　no　one　seriously　thought　it　had　been　eradicated。　In　1956；　H。　C。　Engert　wrote；　〃Cannibalism　is　far　from　being　dead　in　Africa。　。　。　。　I　myself　once　lived　in　a　cannibal　village　for　a　time；　and　found　some　The　natives。　。　。　were　pleasant　enough　people。　It　was　just　an　old　custom　which　dies　hard。〃
　Munro　considered　the　1979　Kigani　uprising　a　political　insurrection。　The　tribesmen　were　rebelling　against　the　demand　by　the　Zaire　government　that　the　Kigani　change　from　hunting　to　farming；　as　if　that　were　a　simple　matter。　The　Kigani　were　a　poor　and　backward　people；　their　knowledge　of　hygiene　was　rudimentary；　their　diet　lacked　proteins　and　vitamins；　and　they　were　prey　to　malaria；　hookworm；　bilharzia；　and　African　sleeping　sickness。　One　child　in　four　died　at　birth；　and　few　Kigani　adults　lived　past　the　age　of　twenty…five。　The　hardships　of　their　life　required　explanation；　supplied　by　Angawa；　or　sorcerers。　The　Kigani　believed　that　most　deaths　were　supernatural：　either　the　victim　was　under　a　sorcerer's　spell；　had　broken　some　taboo；　or　was　killed　by　vengeful　spirits　from　the　dead。　Hunting　also　had　a　supernatural　aspect：　game　was　strongly　influenced　by　the　spirit　world。　In　fact；　the　Kigani　considered　the　supernatural　world　far　more　real　than　the　day…to…day　world；　which　they　felt　to　be　a　〃waking　dream；〃　and　they　attempted　to　control　t