michael crichton.congo-第36节

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　〃I　can't　believe　it；〃　Ross　said。　〃It's　all　over。〃
　Elliot　sighed。　〃My　feet　hurt；〃　he　said。
　〃I'm　tired；〃　Munro　said。
　〃The　hell　with　it；〃　Ross　said。
　Utterly　exhausted；　they　all　went　to　bed。
　
　DAY　8：　KANYAMAGUFA
　June　20；　1979
　
　1。　Descent
　
　EVERYONE　SLEPT　LATE　ON　THE　MORNING　OF　JUNE　20。　They　had　a　leisurely　breakfast；　taking　the　time　to　cook　a　hot　meal。　They　relaxed　in　the　sun；　and　played　with　Amy；　who　was　delighted　by　this　unexpected　attention。　It　was　past　ten　o'clock　before　they　started　down　Mukenko　to　the　jungle。
　Because　the　western　slopes　of　Mukenko　are　sheer　and　impassible；　they　descended　inside　the　smoking　volcanic　crater　to　a　depth　of　half　a　mile。　Munro　led　the　way；　carrying　a　porter's　load　on　his　head；　Asari；　the　strongest　porter；　had　to　carry　Amy；　because　the　rocks　were　much　too　hot　for　her　bare　feet。
　Amy　was　terrified；　and　regarded　the　human　persons　trekking　single…file　down　the　steep　inner　cone　to　be　mad。　Elliot　was　not　sure　she　was　wrong：　the　heat　was　intense；　as　they　approached　the　lava　lake；　the　acrid　fumes　made　eyes　water　and　nostrils　burn；　they　heard　the　lava　pop　and　crackle　beneath　the　heavy　black　crust。
　Then　they　reached　the　formation　called　Naragema…the　Devil's　Eye。　It　was　a　natural　arch　150　feet　high；　and　so　smooth　it　appeared　polished　on　the　inside。　Through　this　arch　a　fresh　breeze　blew；　and　they　saw　the　green　jungle　below。　They　paused　to　rest　in　the　arch；　and　Ross　examined　the　smooth　inner　surface。　It　was　part　of　a　lava　tube　formed　in　some　earlier　eruption；　the　main　body　of　the　tube　had　been　blown　away；　leaving　just　the　slender　arch。
　〃They　call　it　the　Devil's　Eye；〃　Munro　said；　〃because　from　below；　during　an　eruption；　it　glows　like　a　red　eye。〃
　From　the　Devil's　Eye　they　descended　rapidly　through　an　alpine　zone；　and　from　there　across　the　unworldly　jagged　terrain　of　a　recent　lava　flow。　Here　they　encountered　black　craters　of　scorched　earth；　some　as　deep　as　five　or　six　feet。　Munro's　first　thought　was　that　the　Zaire　army　had　used　this　field　for　mortar　practice。　But　on　closer　examination；　they　saw　a　scorched　pattern　etched　into　the　rock；　extending　like　tentacles　outward　from　the　craters。　Munro　had　never　seen　anything　like　it；　Ross　immediately　set　up　her　antenna；　hooked　in　the　puter；　and　got　in　touch　with　Houston。　She　seemed　very　excited。
　The　party　rested　while　she　reviewed　the　data　on　the　little　screen；　Munro　said；　〃What　are　you　asking　them？〃
　〃The　date　of　the　last　Mukenko　eruption；　and　the　local　weather。　It　was　in　March…Do　you　know　somebody　named　Seamans？〃
　〃Yes；〃　Elliot　said。　〃Tom　Seamans　is　the　puter　programmer　for　Project　Amy。　Why？〃
　〃There's　a　message　for　you；〃　she　said；　pointing　to　the　screen。
　Elliot　came　around　to　look：　SEMNS　MESG　FOR　ELYT　STNDBY。
　〃What's　the　message？〃　Elliot　asked。
　〃Push　the　transmit　button；〃　she　said。
　He　pushed　the　button　and　the　message　flashed：　REVUWD　ORGNL　TAPE　HUSTNNUN　
　〃I　don't　understand；〃　Elliot　said。　Ross　explained　that　the　〃M〃　meant　that　there　was　more　message；　and　he　had　to　press　the　transmit　button　again。　He　pushed　the　button　several　times　before　he　got　the　message；　which　in　its　entirety　read：
　REVUWO　ORGNL　TAPE　HUSTN　NU　FINDNG　RE　AURL　SIGNL　INFO…PUTR　ANLYSS　PLTE　THNK　ITS　LNGWGE。
　Elliot　found　he　could　read　the　pressed　shortline　language　by　speaking　it　aloud：　〃Reviewed　original　tape　Houston；　new　finding　regarding　aural　signal　information；　puter　analysis　plete　think　it's　language。〃　He　frowned。　〃Language？〃
　Ross　said；　〃Didn't　you　ask　him　to　review　Houston's　original　tape　material　from　the　Congo？〃
　〃Yes；　but　that　was　for　visual　identification　of　the　animal　on　the　screen。　I　never　said　anything　to　him　about　aural　information。〃　Elliot　shook　his　head。　〃I　wish　I　could　talk　to　him。〃
　〃You　can；〃　Ross　said。　〃If　you　don't　mind　waking　him　up。〃　She　pushed　the　interlock　button；　and　fifteen　minutes　later　Elliot　typed；　Hello　Tom　How　Are　You？　The　screen　printed　HLO　TOM　HOURU。
　〃We　don't　usually　waste　satellite　time　with　that　kind　of　thing；〃　Ross　said。
　The　screen　printed　SLEPY　WHRERU。
　He　typed；　Virunga。　VIRNGA。
　〃Travis　is　going　to　scream　when　he　sees　this　transcript；〃　Ross　said。　〃Do　you　realize　what　the　transmission　costs　are？〃
　But　Ross　needn't　have　worried；　the　conversation　soon　became　technical：
　RECVD　MESG　AURL　INFO　PLS　XPLN。
　AXIDENTL　DISKVRY　VRY　XCITNG…DISCRIMNT　FUNXN　PT　ANLSS　99　CONFDNCE　LIMTS　TAPD　AURL　INFO　｛BRETHNG　SOUNS｝　DEMNSTRTS　CHRCTRISTX　SPECH。
　SPSFY　CHRCTRISTX。
　REPETNG　ELMNTS…ARBTRARY　PATRN…STRXRAL　RLATNSHPS…PROBLY　THRFOR　SPOKN　LNGWGE。
　KN　U　TRNSLTE？
　NOT　SOFR。
　WHT　RESN？
　PUTR　HAS　INSFSNT　INFO　IN　AURL　MESG…WNT　NOR　DATA…ST　WORKNG…MAYB　NOR　TOMORO…FINGRS　X。
　RLY　THNK　GORILA　LNGWGE？
　YES　IF　GORILA。
　〃I'll　be　damned；〃　Elliot　said。　He　ended　the　satellite　transmission；　but　the　final　message　from　Seamans　remained　on　the　screen；　glowing　bright　green：
　YES　IF　GORILA。
　
　2。The　Hairy　Men
　
　WITHIN　TWO　HOURS　OF　RECEIVING　THIS　unexpected　news；　the　expedition　had　its　first　contact　with　gorillas。
　They　were　by　now　back　in　the　darkness　of　the　equatorial　rain　forest。　They　proceeded　directly　toward　the　site；　following　the　overhead　laser　beams。　They　could　not　see　these　beams　directly；　but　Ross　had　brought　a　weird　optical　track　guide；　a　cadmium　photocell　filtered　to　record　the　specific　laser　wavelength　emission。　Periodically　during　the　day；　she　inflated　a　small　helium　balloon；　attached　the　track　guide　with　a　wire；　and　released　it。　Lifted　by　the　helium；　the　guide　rose　into　the　sky　above　the　trees。　There　it　rotated；　sighted　one　of　the　laser　lines；　and　transmitted　coordinates　down　the　wire　to　the　puter。　They　followed　the　track　of　diminishing　laser　intensity　from　a　single　beam；　and　waited　for　the　〃blip　reading；〃　the　doubled　intensity　value　that　would　signal　the　intersection　of　two　beams　above　them。
　This　was　a　slow　job　and　their　patience　was　wearing　thin　when；　toward　midday；　they　came　upon　the　characteristic　three…lobed　feces　of　gorilla；　and　they　saw　several　nests　made　of　eucalyptus　leaves　on　the　ground　and　in　the　trees。
　Fifteen　minutes　later；　the　air　was　shattered　by　a　deafening　roar。　〃Gorilla；〃　Munro　announced。　〃That　was　a　male　telling　somebody　off。〃
　Amy　signed；　Gorillas　say　go　away。
　〃We　have　to　continue；　Amy；〃　he　said。
　Gorilla　no　want　human　people　e。
　〃Human　people　won't　harm　gorillas；〃　Elliot　assured　her。　But　Amy　just　looked　blank　at　this；　and　shook　her　head；　as　if　Elliot　had　missed　the　point。
　Days　later　he　realized　that　he　had　indeed　missed　the　point。
　Amy　was　not　telling　him　that　the　gorillas　were　afraid　of　being　harmed　by　people。　She　was　saying　that　the　gorillas　were　afraid　that　the　people　would　be　harmed；　by　gorillas。
　They　had　progressed　halfway　across　a　small　jungle　clearing　when　the　large　silverback　male　reared　above　the　foliage　and　bellowed　at　them。
　Elliot　was　leading　the　group；　because　Munro　had　gone　back　to　help　one　of　the　porters　with　his　pack。　He　saw　six　animals　at　the　edge　of　the　clearing；　dark　black　shapes　against　the　green；　watching　the　human　intruders。　Several　of　the　females　cocked　their　heads　and　pressed　their　lips　in　a　kind　of　disapproval。　The　dominant　male　roared　again。
　He　was　a　large　male　with　silver　hair　down　his　back。　His　massive　head　stood　mote　than　six　feet　above　the　ground；　and　his　barrel　chest　indicated　that　he　weighed　more　than　four　hundred　pounds。　Seeing　him；　Elliot　understood　why　the　first　explorers　to　the　Congo　had　believed　gorillas　to　be　〃hairy　men；〃　for　this　magnificent　creature　looked　like；　a　gigantic　man；　both　in　size　and　shape。
　At　Elliot's　back　Ross　whispered；　〃What　do　we　do？〃
　〃Stay　behind　me；〃　Elliot　said；　〃and　don't　move。〃
　The　silverback　male　dropped　to　all　fours　briefly；　and　began　a　soft　ho…ho…ho　sound；　which　grew　more　intense　as　he　leapt　to　his　feet　again；　grabbing　handfuls　of　grass　as　he　did　so。　He　threw　the　grass　in　the　air；　and　then　beat　his　chest　with　flat　palms；　making　a　hollow　thumping　sound。
　〃Oh；　no；〃　Ross　said。
　The　chest…beating　lasted　five　seconds；　and　then　the　male　dropped　to　all　fours　again。　He　ran　sideways　across　the　grass；　slapping　the　foliage　and　making　as　much　noise　as　possible；　to　frighten　the　intruders　off。　Finally　he　began　the　ho…ho…ho　sound　once　more。
　The　male　stared　at　Elliot；　expecting　that　this　display　would　send　him　running。　When　it　did　not；　the　male　leapt　to　his　feet；　Pounded　his　chest；　and　roared　with　even　greater　fury。
　And　then　he　charged。
　With　a　howling　scream　he　came　crashing　forward　at　frightening　speed；　directly　toward　Elliot。　Elliot　heard　Ross　gasp　behind　him。　He　wanted　to　turn　and　run；　his　every　bodily　instinct　screamed　that　he　should　run；　but　he　forced　himself　to　stand　absolutely　still…and　to　look　down　at　the　ground。
　Staring　at　his　feet　while　he　listened　to　the　gorilla　crashing　through　the　tall　grass　toward　him；　he　had　the　sudden　sensation　that　all　his　abstract　book　knowledge　was　wrong；　that　everything　that　scientists　around　the　world　thought　about　gorillas　was　wrong。　He　had　a　mental　image　of　the　huge　head　and　the　deep　chest　and　the　long　arms　swinging　wide　as　the　powerful　animal　rushed　toward　an　easy　kill；　a　stationary　target　foolish　enough　to　believe　all　the　academic　misinformation　sanctified　by　print。
　The　gorilla　（who　must　have　been　quite　close）　made　a　s