michael crichton.congo-第32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！


rs。
　〃He　says　that　the　sick　white　man　has　some　writing　on　his　shirt　pocket。　He's　going　to　draw　the　writing　for　us。〃
　Ross　glanced　at　her　watch　and　sighed。
　The　pygmy　picked　up　a　stick　and　drew　large　characters　in　the　muddy　earth　at　their　feet。　He　drew　carefully；　frowning　in　concentration　as　he　reproduced　the　alien　symbols：　E　R　T　S。
　〃Oh；　God；〃　Ross　said　softly。
　
　
　The　pygmies　did　not　walk　through　the　forest：　they　ran　at　a　brisk　trot；　slipping　through　the　forest　vines　and　branches；　dodging　rain　puddles　and　gnarled　tree　roots　with　deceptive　ease。　Occasionally　they　glanced　over　their　shoulders　and　giggled　at　the　difficulties　of　the　three　white　people　who　followed。
　For　Elliot；　it　was　a　difficult　pace…a　succession　of　roots　to　stumble　over；　tree　limbs　to　strike　his　head　on；　thorny　vines　to　tear　at　his　flesh。　He　was　gasping　for　breath；　trying　to　keep　up　with　the　little　men　who　padded　effortlessly　ahead　of　him。　Ross　was　doing　no　better　than　he；　and　even　Munro；　although　surprisingly　agile；　showed　signs　of　fatigue。
　Finally　they　came　to　a　small　stream　and　a　sunlit　clearing。
　The　pygmies　paused　on　the　rocks；　squatting　and　turning　their
　faces　up　to　the　sun。　The　white　people　collapsed；　panting　and　gasping。　The　pygmies　seemed　to　find　this　hilarious；　their　laughter　good…natured。
　The　pygmies　were　the　earliest　human　inhabitants　of　the　Congo　rain　forest。　Their　small　size；　distinctive　manner；　and　deft　agility　had　made　them　famous　centuries　before。　More　than　four　thousand　years　ago；　an　Egyptian　mander　named　Herkouf　entered　the　great　forest　west　of　the　Mountains　of　the　Moon；　there　he　found　a　race　of　tiny　men　who　sang　and　danced　to　their　god。　Herkoufs　amazing　report　had　the　ring　of　fact；　and　Herodotus　and　later　Aristotle　insisted　that　these　stories　of　the　tiny　men　were　true；　and　not　fabulous。　The　Dancers　of　God　inevitably　acquired　mythical　trappings　as　the　centuries　passed。
　As　late　as　the　seventeenth　century；　Europeans　remained　unsure　whether　tiny　men　with　tails　who　had　the　power　to　fly　through　the　trees；　make　themselves　invisible；　and　kill　elephants　actually　existed。　That　skeletons　of　chimpanzees　were　sometimes　mistaken　for　pygmy　skeletons　added　to　the　confusion。　Colin　Turnbull　notes　that　many　elements　of　the　fable　are　actually　true：　the　pounded…bark　loincloths　hang　down　and　look　like　tails；　the　pygmies　can　blend　into　the　forest　and　bee　virtually　invisible；　and　they　have　always　hunted　and　killed　elephants。
　The　pygmies　were　laughing　now　as　they　got　to　their　feet　and　padded　off　again。　Sighing；　the　white　people　struggled　up　and　lumbered　after　them。　They　ran　for　another　half　hour；　never　pausing　or　hesitating；　and　then　Elliot　smelled　smoke　and　they　came　into　a　clearing　beside　a　stream　where　the　village　was　located。
　He　saw　ten　low　rounded　huts　no　more　than　four　feet　high；　arranged　in　a　semicircle。　The　villagers　were　all　outside　in　the　afternoon　light；　the　women　cleaning　mushrooms　and　berries　picked　during　the　day；　or　cooking　grubs　and　turtles　on　crackling　fires；　children　tottered　around；　bothering　the　men　who　sat　before　their　houses　and　smoked　tobacco　while　the　women　worked。
　At　Munro's　signal；　they　waited　at　the　edge　of　the　camp　until　they　were　noticed；　and　then　they　were　led　in。　Their　arrival　provoked　great　interest；　the　children　giggled　and　pointed；　the　men　wanted　tobacco　from　Munro　and　Elliot；　the　women　touched　Ross's　blonde　hair；　and　argued　about　it。　A　little　girl　crawled　between　Ross's　legs；　peering　up　her　trousers。　Munro　explained　that　the　women　were　uncertain　whether　Ross　painted　her　hair；　and　the　girl　had　taken　it　upon　herself　to　settle　the　question　of　artifice。
　〃Tell　them　it's　natural；〃　Ross　said；　blushing。
　Munro　spoke　briefly　to　the　women。　〃I　told　them　it　was　the　color　of　your　father's　hair；〃　he　told　Ross。　〃But　I'm　not　sure　they　believe　it。〃　He　gave　Elliot　cigarettes　to　pass　out；　one　to　each　man；　they　were　received　with　broad　smiles　and　odd　girlish　giggles。
　Preliminaries　concluded；　they　were　taken　to　a　newly　constructed　house　at　the　far　end　of　the　village　where　the　dead　white　man　was　said　to　be。　They　found　a　filthy；　bearded　man　of　thirty；　sitting　cross…legged　in　the　small　doorway；　staring　outward。　After　a　moment　Elliot　realized　the　man　was　catatonic…he　was　not　moving　at　all。
　〃Oh；　my　God；〃　Ross　said。　〃It's　Bob　Driscoll。〃
　〃You　know　him？〃　Munro　said。
　〃He　was　a　geologist　on　the　first　Congo　expedition。〃　She　leaned　close　to　him；　waved　her　hand　in　front　of　his　face。　〃Bobby；　it's　me；　Karen。　Bobby；　what　happened　to　you？〃
　Driscoll　did　not　respond；　did　not　even　blink。　He　continued　to　stare　forward。
　One　of　the　pygmies　offered　an　explanation　to　Munro。　〃He　came　into　their　camp　four　days　ago；〃　Munro　said。　〃He　was　wild　and　they　had　to　restrain　him。　They　thought　he　had　blackwater　fever；　so　they　made　a　house　for　him　and　gave　him　some　medicines；　and　he　was　not　wild　anymore。　Now　he　lets　them　feed　him；　but　he　never　speaks。　They　think　perhaps　he　was　captured　by　General　Muguru's　men　and　tortured；　or　else　he　is　agudu…a　mute。〃
　Ross　moved　back　in　horror。
　〃I　don't　see　what　we　can　do　for　him；〃　Munro　said。　〃Not　in　his　condition。　Physically　he's　okay　but。。。〃　He　shook　his　head。
　〃I'll　give　Houston　the　location；〃　Ross　said；　〃and　they'll　send　help　from　Kinshasa。〃
　During　all　this；　Driscoll　never　moved。　Elliot　leaned　forward　to　look　at　his　eyes；　and　as　he　approached；　Driscoll　wrinkled　his　nose。　His　body　tensed。　He　broke　into　a　high…pitched　wail…〃Ah…ah…ah…ah〃…like　a　man　about　to　scream。
　Appalled；　Elliot　backed　off；　and　Driscoll　relaxed；　falling　silent　again。　〃What　the　hell　was　that　all　about？〃
　One　of　the　pygmies　whispered　to　Munro。　〃He　says；〃　Munro　said；　〃that　you　smell　like　gorilla。〃
　
　3。　Ragora
　
　Two　HOURS　LATER；　THEY　WERE　REUNITED　WITH　Kahega　and　the　others；　led　by　a　pygmy　guide　across　the　rain　forest　south　of　Gabutu。　They　were　all　sullen；　unmunicative…and　suffering　from　dysentery。
　The　pygmies　had　insisted　they　stay　for　an　early　dinner；　and　Munro　felt　they　had　no　choice　but　to　accept。　The　meal　was　mostly　a　slender　wild　potato　called　kitsombe；　which　looked　like　a　shriveled　asparagus；　forest　onions；　called　otsa；　and　modoke；　wild　manioc　leaves；　along　with　several　kinds　of　mushrooms。　There　were　also　small　quantities　of　sour；　tough　turtle　meat　and　occasional　grasshoppers；　caterpillars；　worms；　frogs；　and　snails。
　This　diet　actually　contained　twice　as　much　protein　by　weight　as　beefsteak；　but　it　did　not　sit　well　on　unaccustomed　stomachs。　Nor　was　the　news　around　the　campfire　likely　to　improve　their　spirits。
　According　to　the　pygmies；　General　Muguru's　men　had　established　a　supply　camp　up　at　the　Makran　escarpment；　which　was　where　Munro　was　headed。　It　seemed　wise　to　avoid　the　troops。　Munro　explained　there　was　no　Swahili　word　for　chivalry　or　sportsmanship；　and　the　same　was　true　of　the　Congolese　variant；　Lingala。　〃In　this　part　of　the　world；　it's　kill　or　be　killed。　We'd　best　stay　away。〃
　Their　only　alternate　mute　took　them　west；　to　the　Ragora　River。　Munro　frowned　at　his　map；　and　Ross　frowned　at　her　puter　console。
　〃What's　wrong　with　the　Ragora　River？〃　Elliot　asked。
　〃Maybe　nothing；〃　Munro　said。　〃Depends　on　how　hard　it's　mined　lately。〃
　Ross　glanced　at　her　watch。　〃We're　now　twelve　hours　behind；〃　she　said。　〃The　only　thing　we　can　do　is　continue　straight　through　the　night　on　the　river。〃
　〃I'd　do　that　anyway；〃　Munro　said。
　Ross　had　never　heard　of　an　expedition　guide　leading　a　party　through　a　wilderness　area　at　night。　〃You　would？　Why？〃
　〃Because；〃　Munro　said；　〃the　obstacles　on　the　lower　river　will　be　much　easier　at　night。〃
　〃What　obstacles？〃
　〃We'll　discuss　them　when　we　e　to　them；〃　Munro　said。
　A　mile　before　they　reached　the　Ragora；　they　heard　the　distant　mar　of　powerful　water。　Amy　was　immediately　anxious；　signing　What　water？　again　and　again。　Elliot　tried　to　reassure　her；　but　he　was　not　inclined　to　do　much；　Amy　was　going　to　have　to　put　up　with　the　river；　despite　her　fears。
　But　when　they　got　to　the　Ragora　they　found　that　the　sound　came　from　tumbling　cataracts　somewhere　upstream；　directly　before　them；　the　river　was　fifty　feet　wide　and　a　placid　muddy　brown。
　〃Doesn't　look　too　bad；〃　Elliot　said。
　〃No；〃　Munro　said；　〃it　doesn't。〃
　But　Munro　understood　about　the　Congo。　The　fourth　largest　river　in　the　world　（after　the　Nile；　the　Amazon；　and　the　Yangize）　was　unique　in　many　ways。　It　twisted　like　a　giant　snake　across　the　face　of　Africa；　twice　crossing　the　equator…　the　first　time　going　north；　toward　Kisangani；　and　later　going　south；　at　Mbandaka。　This　fact　was　so　remarkable　that　even　a　hundred　years　ago　geographers　did　not　believe　it　was　true。
　Because　the　Congo　flowed　both　north　and　south　of　the　equator；　there　was　always　a　rainy　season　somewhere　along　its　path；　the　river　was　not　subject　to　the　seasonal　fluctuations　that　characterized　rivers　such　as　the　Nile。　The　Congo　poured　a　steady　1；500；000　cubic　feet　of　water　every　second　into　the　Atlantic　Ocean；　a　flow　greater　than　any　river　except　the　Amazon。
　But　this　tortuous　course　also　made　the　Congo　the　least　navigable　of　the　great　rivers。　Serious　disruptions　began　with　the　rapids　of　Stanley　Pool；　three　hundred　miles　from　the　Atlantic。　Two　thousand　miles　inland；　at　Kisangani；　where　the　river　was　still　…a　mile　wide；　the　Wagenia　Cataract　blocked　all